Pure Intentions
by darlingharbour
Summary: slight AU: The sister of WWE Superstar Chris Jericho, Violet, catches the attention of a man she admittedly longs for. Can their new-found romance overcome her overprotective brother? Shawn/OC.
1. Chapter One: Unexpected Victory

_Pure Intentions  
Chapter One: Unexpected Victory_

**A/N: I'm mentally slapping myself for writing something that involves an OC. I swore I'd never do it- but I did it anyways. Now, I don't expect any reviews; I'm purely writing this just for the fun of it (coughs- and Shawn). ;)**

* * *

"You did not just oggle Sheamus!" Chris Irvin (a.k.a Chris Jericho) jokingly exclaimed to his younger sister Violet. She rolled her green eyes and crossed her arms.

"No way in hell, doofus." She bitterly replied.

The two blonde-haired siblings walked down the hallway backstage at Monday Night RAW. Passing by Batista, Sheamus, and many other superstars and divas along the way.

Chris had forced Violet into going with him to the show, even though she furiously resented the WWE for a numerous amount of reasons. One, for selling out and turning into a terrible money obsessed company, and two, for developing the most idiotic and brainless storylines ever.

Once, as a little girl, she had been a fan. Now, she absolutely loathed wrestling, and the fact that her brother was one of the most recognized professional wrestlers out there did not help one bit. He still insisted on bringing her to every event though.

Chris grinned, amused at her annoyance. "Lighten up, sis. Being here, and being in the World Wrestling Entertainment is a blast. Have some fun."

They arrived at the doorway of the superstars locker room. Nothing, Violet was certain of, could convince her. After all, it was her desicion to hate the company, not his.

"I won't, Chris. I will never find it as entertaining as you do. Just leave me be." Her normally soft and sweet voice contained a tone of indignancy. His smirk dropped.

"Just come out and watch my match, please, Vi." Her brother pleaded gently, his blue eyes silently begging her. "I'm going up against Cena tonight, and I really want you there."  
Violet felt guilty for ripping on his beloved career, and sighed in frustration as he continued to torture her with his pensive eyes.

"Fine, Chris." She finally agreed, not being able to stand his look of despair. "I'll be there."

In one moment, the Ayatollah of Rock 'n Rollah's face lit up, tossing away the image of the cocky, demeaning persona he portrayed on TV. "Thank you, Vi."

She smiled, and embraced her brother in a joyous and whole-hearted hug.

"Well, well, Chris, who is _this_ young lady?" Came a sudden low voice.

The kin pulled away and turned their attention to the looming figure. There stood the Viper himself, Randy Orton.

"Oh...Randy," Chris said, his voice abruptly transitioning from cheerful to protective. Violet tried not to meet the gaze of the Legend Killer, who was staring mildly at her. "This is my _little_ _sister, _Violet." Y2J introduced warily, wrapping his arm around her slender, feminine waist.

"Nice to meet you, Violet." Randy responded, his voice cool and somewhat suspicious. In one motion, his hand seized hers and his head bent down to place his smooth lips upon it. Chris growled, unaware of Randy's intentions, but assuming they were not good. The younger Irvin slowly receeded her hand back and hid her disgust.

"I noticed you were--"

"Leave her alone, Orton."

All three of them turned their attention to the Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels. Violet's breath caught in her throat.

Her mind was flooded with memories of him. From matches she had witnessed earlier on in her (and Chris') life. Admittedly, she was always a fan. From the first time she had laid eyes on him, to the time she had met him at a signing Chris had also dragged her to. She admired him, but was too embarrassed to confess it to her older brother. It would mean that she was actually a fan of one of the wrestlers who was employed in both a company and environment she hated. And Chris wouldn't let that go if he knew.

"This is none of your business, Shawn." The younger man hissed, showing animosity to the showstopper, the legend himself. Chris and Violet stayed silent as a faint war went on between the two superstars.

"It is my business, Randy. I know what your planning on doing, and I have a problem with it." Shawn challenged, glaring at RKO with intensity in his baby blues.

Randy scoffed. "Whatever, Shawn. Retire already and save yourself some trouble." He remarked before stomping away.

Chris shook his head, watching him sulk off. "He has no respect for you."

Shawn agreed. "He has no respect for anyone."

Violet glanced towards HBK and spoke for the first time in several minutes. "Thank you."

Mr. Wrestlemania's pearly white teeth shone as he smiled. "No problem."

The Showstopper bade farewell to the siblings and returned to the locker room. Not before Chris could shout to him: "I'll be watching your match!"

Violet felt her heart beat return to normal, finally noticing that it had earlier began a faster pace. From the room, came Shawn's voice.

"And I'll yours."

The sister of Y2J could almost feel him grinning.

_

* * *

_

_1...2..._

Another kickout. Chris cried out in frustration, getting back up on his feet. Violet observed this match from backstage, watching the monitor whilst biting her nails in nervousness. Her brother's incredible ability along with the Champ's, John Cena, proved to be very intense.

_Come on, Chris._ She encouraged in her mind, _He has nothing on you._

He took Cena's legs into his arms as he attempted "The Walls of Jericho." This move proved futile when John countered by breaking free from Chris' grip and kicking him in the abdomen.  
The fans cheered as the ever popular Chain Gang Soldier opted to pin his opponent.

_1...2.._

Violet threw her hands up into the air upon seeing Chris' leg fly up. Preventing himself from defeat. "You can do it, Chris!" She shouted. Getting lost in the moment and actually enjoying herself.

The blonde haired superstar tried his finisher again, but prevailed this time. Agony was written of her brother's face as he pulled and stretched Cena's body.

"You really love eachother, don't you?"

In fright, Violet jumped at the sudden noise. She wheeled around to face Shawn Michaels. Grin and all.

"You startled me!" She exclaimed, the pitch of her voice unusually high. He chuckled as his smile broadened.

"Sorry," He apologized.

Violet's eyes found his, and her knees buckled. "Its o-okay... and yes...I--we do." She stated. Mentally kicking herself for acting so juvenile in front of one of her idols. _He's just another wrestler, Violet, another wrestler. Calm yourself._

She heard the faint sound of the crowd as she breathed deeply.

"I honestly love the feeling of close knit families, don't you?" He inquired, sitting himself on one of the black, leather couches in front of the screen.

Violet Irvine nodded and agreed with the older man. "Chris and I... we're all that we both have."

Shawn's piercing eyes widened in curiousity.

The Canadian didn't think before she spoke again. "Our parents and grandparents died within these last ten years. And we're smart enough not to become divided like the rest of our family. Who've been in a fight since forever."

She had no idea why she was telling him this, but she felt particularily comfortable in doing so. Unconsiously, she took a seat in one of the armchairs.

HBK's expression softened in sympathy. "I'm sorry about that," He said, "I know what that feels like."

Violet realized what she had just done- told her tragic story to someone she hardly knew. "No, I'm sorry... I shouldn't have told you that. I feel like such a fool." The younger Irvine paused before asking him, "How's your family?"

The Heartbreak Kid hesitated before replying. "...I'm recently divorced... but still fighting for my kids."

Her jaw slightly dropped open in shock, feeling a tug on her heartstrings. "I'm..I'm sorry. If it makes you feel any better... your a - your a great father."

The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them. Within seeing him give her a questionable look, her cheeks flaming with embarrassment.

"I saw a documentary on your life, and the way you care for you kids is amazing." She admitted, keeping her head down and not gazing back up at him. His incredible, contagious laughter surrounded her, Violet raised her glance.

"Why thank you," He responded, grinning more than ever, "That means a lot to me."

_1...2...3!_

The bell rang and the audience gave mixed reactions to the winner. Violet turned her attention back to the screen. She saw her brother, raising his hands in victory, as John Cena remained lying on the mat, exhausted.

The unexpected win caused the sister of the Ayatollah of Rock 'n Rollah to bolt to her feet and jump in happiness. "Yes!!" She cried, clearly excited for her brother.

She watched as Chris walked up the ramp, waiting to congratulate him. Shawn stood up and gave an applause. In a thoughtless moment, Violet enclosed Mr. Wrestlemania in a short embrace. The older man was caught by surprise but wrapped his arms around her aswell.

"Vi--"

Chris was interrupted by the sight before him. His sister enveloped with one of his wrestling admirations in a hug. The two pulled away when he came towards them.

"Chris!" Violet cried, ambushing him and attaching her thin arms around his waist. He threw a confused look Shawn's way but accepted the hug.

"I knew you'd win!" Violet chirped happily.

Shawn shook Chris' hand, impressed by his abrupt win over Cena. "Congrats, man."

"Thanks." Y2J replied with sincerity, ready to start celebrating. Even if was a _non-_title match that he had just won, he was still as satisfied.

"Lets go, Vi." Chris suggested, making his way to the dressing room, leaving his sister and Shawn alone.

"..."

"I'd love to talk with you again."

More word vomit.

"I mean... next time... at _RAW_?"

The Showstopper laughed in amusement. "I'd like that."

"See you later?"

"See you later." Shawn confirmed, grinning like always.

"Violet!" They heard Chris call from the hallway.

"Coming!" She cried, rushing out of the room, looking over her shoulder to see Shawn wave goodbye.

_

* * *

_

Haha, that was horrible writing. But I kinda love how it panned out. x)


	2. Chapter Two: Misunderstanding

_Pure Intentions  
_Chapter Two: Misunderstanding

**A/N:** Wow, the postive feedback on the first chapter was incredible! Seriously, I wasn't expecting any reviews at all, let alone favorites! Thank you guys so much and I hope you enjoy the second chapter as much as the first.

* * *

"So what went down between you and _Shawn Micheals_?" Chris "Jericho" asked of his sister on the car ride to the hotel. Emphasizing the name of the superstar Violet had spent almost the enitirety of his own match with. She sat beside him in the passenger seat as he drove through the city of New York.

"_Nothing_," she answered with as much enthusiasm as her brother. "We just... talked." She told him truthfully. After all, they had spent no more than 10-15 minutes conversing with one another about one topic. Family.

"Then why we're you _hugging_?" He inquired with the same tone as before, as if something _had _happened between the two.

The younger sibling rolled her eyes. "It was a spur of the moment. I was happy because you had won a match. Because you had successfully ended John Cena's four month undefeated streak. I'm sorry for hugging the closest person within my reach."

Chris glanced at her- she had her head against the window, and her eyes were closed- and then back at the road. He was only teasing, but she always took everything so seriously.

"I'm sorry, Vi. I just don't trust anyone around you."

Violet sighed in annoyance. "Am I that big of a deal?" She shifted in her seat so that her knees were against her chest and so that she faced Chris.

The blonde haired Canadian shook his head as he neared to the hotel. "Of course you are, Vi. Your my sister, your all the family I have left- and nobody's going to take you away from me. Only if they have _pure_ intentions." He replied, the last sentence referring to Randy Orton. Just the thought of the _Viper_ gave both the siblings shivers.

Violet's expressioned went soft. "And those intentions would be...?" She questioned, a bit confused.

Y2J pulled into the familliar parking lot. He browsed for the nearest spot to the hotel and quickly found one, pulled the car into it and parked the vehicle.

"Those intentions would be... that the person-whoever it may be- loves you, only you and can stay faithful to you." He admitted, bringing a warm feeling to Violet. "And if they break any of the above, they get one hell of an ass-kicking. Much more brutal than the one John Cena recieved tonight." He half joked.

Violet was convinced he'd really do it- because he would. She'd do the same for him... except he was already married to a fantastic woman he had met a few years ago, so she couldn't.

"Thanks for being so protective of me, Chris." She told him as he got out of the vehicle. He walked to her side to open the door for her.

He smiled. "I'm you big brother, Vi, thats what I do. Sure we may fight, but we need eachother." The young girl yawned, she was too comfortable in the position she was in to move. Chris opted to gently pick her up and carry her.

"Just this once," He whispered to himself as he lifted her sleeping figure out of the car, shutting the door behind them, making sure to lock it afterwards.

* * *

With a bucket of freezing cold water, Hunter recklessly and carelessly tossed its contents onto the sleeping girl. Violet bolted upright the second the icy liquid hit her sleeping body and screamed. "_What the fuck_?!!"

Hunter was smart enough to leave the room, but not before running into Chris Jericho in the hotel hallway. Chris stopped the larger man and eyed the bucket suspiciously. "Don't tell me you've--"

_"CHRISTOPHER!!"_

Before he could finish his sentence, he recognized the cry at once and glared at the Game. "Your a douche."

Hunter smiled innocently, shrugged and walked away. Chris called after him. "You better watch your back!" He threatened angrily. He proceeded to his room to find a soaking wet, chilled to the bone, mad as hell, Violet.

"Who the _fuck_ did that????!" She demanded, shivering uncontrollably. This rage was clearly written all over her, the signs being her nostrils were flaring furiously, and she had gone a deep red. Chris almost burst into laughter, but he knew it would get her even more upset so he tried his best to hide his amusement. "Don't swear!" He instructed, "It was Hunter."

"Uggggggggggggggh!" Violet grumbled, getting off of the bed. She searched through her suitcase for a change of clothes and with them, she stomped into the bathroom. Slamming the door and stripping herself out of the damned wet material.

"Tell your friend he can go screw himself!" She shouted from behind the door, causing Chris to burst into a fit of giggles. "Will do." He affirmed, leaving the room to join his fellow superstars in a brunch downstairs at the hotels restaurant.

Violet decided then she would take a shower, but before she could do so; she heard a quiet, smooth knock. She sighed, deliberatley threw on her bathroom robe, and walked to the door.

She thrust it open in one swift motion. "Don't tell me. You've forgotten your key--"

Instead of facing Chris-whom she had expected- there stood the man of the hour, Shawn Michaels.

Violet ran her hand through her strawberry blonde hair, unaware of what to do or say. HBK stood there rather awkwardly, not sure of what to make of this encounter.

"Um, Shawn," She said, "What are you doing here?"

Dressed in blue jeans, a plain white t-shirt, and a pair of cowboy boots, The Heartbreak Kid cleared his throat and shifted his feet. "Is Hunter here?" He asked. The younger Irvin narrowed her eyes, remembering that it was, in fact, the Cerebral Assasin who had dumped a pail of chilling water onto her.

"No, he isn't. And neither is Chris..." She trailed off, noticing now that he was gone. Shawn looked around anxiously, fiddling with his fingers in what seemed to be anxiety.

"Do you want to come in?" Violet asked irrationally. "I don't know where either of them went but I think Chris might've left a note..."

Nodding, the San Antonio native strode into the room, casually examing the place. As if he hadn't seen a hotel suite before.

Violet shut the door, and began her search for one of Chris' imfamous notes. She scouraged through the desk's drawers, inspected the night stands, and tiptoed to see if he had left on top of the highly placed TV.  
She finally found it attached to the mini fridge with a piece of tape. Hardly able to read his hurried and messy calligraphy, Violet made out the words "brunch", "restaurant", and "will return."

"He's gone to brunch downstairs." She informed Shawn, who so happened to be occupied with his watch.

"Its broken," he muttered, who apparently had not heard what she had just said.

"So you could go see him... or wait up here."

This caused him to look up. "What?"

The puzzling look in his eyes almost made Violet grin in adoration. The older man was no doubt the cutest thing she'd ever laid eyes on. As juvenile as it sounded.

"They must be having brunch downstairs," Violet repeated, "So you can either go and see if Hunter's there... or wait here."

His eyebrows lifted up in question, and he thought over his options. "If you would have me, I'd like to wait here." Shawn chose, smiling.

Violet nodded her head. "Of course, I'll just be in the shower."

"That explains the bathrobe."

She turned back around to see his signature beam. Violet Irvin giggled. "I guess it does. Holler if you need me." As she entered her awaited shower, Shawn laid back on the bed and settled in to watch TV and wait for his partner in crime.

* * *

Violet finished putting on the last article of dry clothing, she smiled, snug and ever-so comfortable.

Then she heard the main door open and no doubtedly knew it was her brother. "Shawn?" She heard Chris ask, certainly surprised. "Why are you _here_? And why didn't you come downstairs?"

"Eh... I wasn't hungry." Shawn answered blantly. Aiming the remote to turn the television off.

Violet exited the bathroom, feeling the cool air cleanse her body. She breathed deeply and caught Chris' attention. He stared at her, bewildered, and glanced between her and HBK. Violet knew immediately what he was implicating, and so did Shawn.

"Chris... It isn't what it looks like." The veteran of the WWE said, standing up at once and approaching the Ayatollah of Rock 'n Rollah.

"And what does it look like?" Chris asked, a bitter tone in his voice. Violet shook her head. "Don't you talk to him like that! Nothing happened, Chris! Believe it, because its true."

Her brother paused, considering this.

Mr. Wrestlemania explained. "I just came up here to find out the whereabouts of you and Hunter. I didn't feel like going downstairs so I chose to wait here."

Chris bit his lip foolishly. "Oh."

"Yeah."

"I should go." Shawn murmured, opting towards the door.

"Wait."

He turned back around. "Hm?"

"I apologize," Chris stated shyly, "I...I'm really _conservative_ about my sister."

Shawn chuckled. "Clearly," He agreed. "But, its alright. I would be too."

Before departing, he gazed back to Violet. "Thanks for not minding me staying here, I'll see you at _RAW_."

Violet smiled. "Anytime... and see you then."

The Heartbreak Kid gently clicked the door shut.

Chris sighed and apologized once again. "I'm sorry, Vi."

"Don't worry, I still love you." His sister replied, turning his apologetic expression into a smirk. "Of course you do."  
With that, the two joined in a very loving embrace.

Violet still thinking about the extremely pleasant company of Shawn Michaels.

* * *

:D


	3. Chapter Three: Troubled Waters

_Pure Intentions_  
_Chapter Three: Troubled Waters_

_

* * *

__And If I bought a boat, I'd want to sail it free. No ifs, ands, or buts - and nobody else but me. Grazing the seas mildly, like the open soul I am; I'd never anchor the watercraft and I'd forever stay off land._

Brother and sister, Violet and Chris Irvin were seated in an airplane. Their destination: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was an early Sunday morning - 7 AM to be exact - and Violet was awfully wide awake. Normally, she would already be back to sleep, but all she could think of was tomorrow's episode of _RAW_. She knew it would be like every other show she had attended; helping her brother prepare for his match, watch said match from backstage, and congratulate (or console) him for his win/loss. But it wasn't.

The plane finally lifted off of the runway, giving Violet butterflies.

This week, she'd be meeting with _him_ again. _Him_ being one of her (and Chris') wrestling idols, Shawn Michaels. Just the idea of seeing of him again (she had last seen him on Tuesday) thrilled her and caused those butterflies to flutter wildy in her stomach.

The young girl scolded herself. What was the point of being as nervous as she was? Why did she even care this much about the man? They had only known eachother for about approximately six days, and she certainly did not want anything more than a friendship from him.

At least, she didn't think she did.

Without warning her older brother let out a what seem to be a snore that had sounded like a combination of a lion inadequately trying to roar, and the grunt of a wild hog. Violet let out an unattractive snort, blushing afterwards but then laughing at herself. If you couldn't laugh at yourself, then why laugh at all? She figured.

_Never mind the tide... I want a tidal wave. Wash over me like a tons of bricks; I'd no doubt have my way. Coughing as if my lungs were on fire, I'd gasp and inhale and swallow. __Underwater, under the water, my ship is sure to follow._

The song's smooth, melodic rhythm lulled the girl to sleep. Releasing her from the relentless thoughts of her and Shawn's bodies colliding in an inappropiate manner.

**Afterwards...**

The Canadian siblings checked into a hotel in the heart of the city, both somewhat jet-lagged from their travel.

"Oooh! This one's got a pool!" Violet exclaimed as she caught a view of the huge body of water. As of now, which happened to be 11 AM, no one was occupying the room at all. If she weren't so tired, Violet would've instantly leapt for the chance to swim. But she was tired, and all she was looking forward to was catching some Z's in her room's bed.

"C'mon Vi." Chris called lazily, yawning as he did so. Violet rejoined him at his side and together the two ventured to the elevator.

* * *

_Amblulence sirens wailed, echoing around her. Violet oddly found herself in her old childhood home, but instead of the nicely decorated rooms she remembered ever so distinctively, the walls, the ceilings, and the floor, were rotted._

_What was going on? Where was Chris? Why was she here?_

_She cringed in disgust and terror, as a countless amount of bugs crawled out from under what appeared to be a couch. It was burned beyond belief, as colorless as the walls. Her heartbeat increased rapidly as she stood in the aged house, paralyzed with shock and fear. _

_A groaning creak came from out of nowhere. Violet turned her head to see a figure on her grandmother's infamous rocking chair. Her eyes widened as the figure revealed itself from the numerous layers of shawls and blankets that surrounded it. It appeared to be a person, a grey, colorless person. But within moments, she recognized her at once._

_"MOM!" She cried, racing over to the chair._

_The figure's skin held various scars, all over her shriveled body. It seemed to have been cut to pieces but somehow the pieces held together, and at once, Violet froze at this sight. Her mother's eyes closed as a black liquid started to seep from the open cuts._

_Violet's mouth dropped open in horror as she broke into petrified screams._

...

Violet gasped as she woke from her horrifying dream. Soon, inevitable sobs racked through her body as she clung the side of her bed, waking Chris with her cries. He rushed over to her immediately.

"Violet!" He shouted in great concern, "Violet!"

She shuddered violently as the unpleasant images flashed in her mind. Her brother wrapped his arms around her body and held her in a tight grip.

"Violet! Violet, tell me whats wrong!"

The tears continued to fall. "Mom..." She told him, breathless. Thats all she needed to say.

"Ssh." Chris hushed, as if talking to a young child, and stroked her back with a comforting gesture. "Its alright, Vi, its alright." He assured her.

His sister shook and quivered in fear, but sooned managed to calm down. Both her brother's consolence, and the confirmation that what she had experienced was only a dream, helped to achieve this.

A while later, Violet pulled back from the older sibling's arms. "Thank you Chris." She said gratefully, wiping her tear stained cheeks. He sighed in relief. "You really scared me, you know?" His hand went to his chest and he indicated that his heartbeat was out of the norm.

"I'm sorry."

Chris shook his head. "Don't be... I'm just really glad your OK."

"..."

The kin sat in silence.

"Something black was coming out of her."

Violet told him of her dream and he listened to her with sympathy.

* * *

So yeah, (not a very) intense chapter. x)


	4. Chapter Four: Undisclosed Desires

_Pure Intentions  
_Chapter Four: Undisclosed Desires

* * *

Violet sat alone in the jacuzzi located in the poolroom of the hotel. Submerged in the deliciously warm water, her iPod lay beside her, enclosed in a waterproof case she had purchased hours earlier at Future Shop.

The song currently playing was the long titled "Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off" by Panic! at the Disco. Violet quietly sang along, the lyrics etched permanently into her mind. At this simple moment, she felt entirely at ease. Truly nothing could ruin it. She was half-right, but... it could be made even better.

_You know, it will always just be me_.

The song continued to play as she spotted a figure treading out from behind the shower doors. Immediately she recognized the man walking to the poolside tables. He took a seat in one of the plastic beachchairs.

He had never seen her, and even if he did, he never acknowledged her. His blue eyes were hidden behind sunglasses, as if he were on an actual beach. Violet giggled and lifted the earphones out of her ears.

"You just love stalking me, don't you?" She teased, making the older man jump.

Shawn finally looked her way and shook his head in disbelief. "Don't flatter yourself, I'm working on my tan." He responded, a coy smile upon his face.

The younger Irvin produced a smirk much like her older brother's. "Not to burst your bubble _George Hamilton_, but there's no sun." She pointed towards the skylight and the clouds covering it.

The Heartbreak Kid chuckled. "_Touche_... I just came for a swim."

"Then why aren't you in the water, Mr. Michaels? Can't swim?" The Canadian girl continued, smiling brightly.

"I can too swim," Shawn replied hotly, "It just looks..._cold_." He shivered, eliciting more giggles from the young girl- who, in turn, wiggled her arms invitingly.

"Then why don't you join me?" Violet Taylor Irvin offered, "There's room for two."

HBK took a moment to consider this, the water did look promising, and he did want to chat with her for a while. After a moment of silence, Shawn spoke. "Sure," He accepted, standing up and walking over to the tub in which Violet basked. She took note that he was wearing casual men swimming shorts, and was _shirtless_. She found herself nearly staring, but managed to contain herself.

He lowered himself slowly into the hot tub, and hissed when the water reached his shoulders.

"Its hot."

Violet rolled her eyes playfully. "It isn't called a _hot_ tub for nothing."

Shawn narrowed his eyes at her and sank down. "Enough with the smart alec remarks."

She grinned. "Sorry, I'm just so used to talking to Chris."

The Texas native laughed and caught her gaze.

"You look like you want to ask me something." Violet said lightly, her voice suddenly quiet.

"Yeah... How old are you?"

She threw Shawn a confused look. "I'm 26... why?"

Shawn blushed. "No reason... just wondering." He answered casually, running his hands through his straight, golden hair.

The two sat awkwardly, not knowing what to say next. There was a level of intensity surrounding them both, but neither did not act upon it. For a moment, Violet noticed the proximity of their bodies - he was sitting directly across from her, but their legs were almost touching as it was a small tub. She wondered why it wasn't exactly awkward for them to be this close if they had just met a few days earlier. They're seemed to be a strange, lingering chemistry. She brushed the thought away.

"So what kind of music do you listen to?" Michael Shawn Hickenbottom inquired, motioning to Violet's green iPod.

"Almost anything, actually. If it has great lyrics, a very strong beat, and gets me either thinking, dancing, or crying- I'm sold."

He cocked his head and eyed her curiously. "What's your favorite song?"

The young woman put some thought into her answer. After a while she finally replied. "The Hand That Feeds by Nine Inch Nails."

Shawn's blue orbs took this in.

"You look surprised."

"...I'm not."

"You sure?"

_She's as hard as AC/DC, she gets my thunderstruck, she's a star - a fourleaf clover. __But I won't press my luck... *_

Tearing her attention away from the wrestling legend, Violet twisted around and grabbed her cellphone from her handbag. She handled the communication device with delicacy, seeing as her hands were wet. Shawn watched as she flipped it open and pressed the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" The young Irvin greeted.

"Where the hell are you?" Came the voice and HBK knew who it was instantly, he could hear his harsh voice from where he sat. "I've been phoning all around for you! Do you know how much worry you've put me in?"Chris demanded.

Violet scoffed. "Chill. I'm at the pool downstairs."

To stop himself from eavesdropping, (which wasn't hard to do, he could hear both parties as if they were both in front of him) the Showstopper childishly played with the bubbles in which were emanating from the jets of the hot tub.

"No, I do not need you to come and get me."

Shawn paused and cringed when he heard Chris curse from the other side of the conversation.

"Stop swearing, your scaring Shawn." She snapped, clearly doing so to get her brother mad. Mr. Wrestlemania glanced back up at Violet. "What are you doing?" He whispered, "He'll kill me."

She shook her head and mouthed back. "Not if I have a say in it."

It was quiet for a moment before Chris said something, this time his voice wasn't audible to the Heartbreak Kid.

"Yes, I'm with him." Violet confirmed, the question obviously being if she was with said person.

Silence.

"We're swimming, what do you think?"

More silence.

"Well If you can't trust me with any of your _friends_, then you certainly can't trust me enough to run my own life." With those words, Violet hung up her phone and set it down again. "I'm sorry about that," She said to Shawn, "We normally don't have fights on the phone... or at all for that matter."

"You should apologize," HBK suggested. Her eyes met his.

"Why?"

"Because he's only worried about you, and you shouldn't let yourselves divide like you said the rest of your family did."

"..."

"Why are you mad at him anyways?"

The blonde-haired green-eyed Canadian sighed. "He limits my social life. He doesn't trust me with anyone. For example... you."

"Me?"

"He always thinks somethings going on... between... us."

"He would think something like that?"

Violet Taylor Irvin bit her lip. She realized that she definitely felt _something_ for this man, but was it way too soon to be feeling anything for him at all?

"Look, Vi, I'd enjoy seeing you again, but I don't want to do so if it affects your relationship with your brother."

"Um.. me too."

"Excuse me, but I have to go."

The blue eyed older man got up to leave, stumbling dizzily as he reached the stairs. He had been in the water for far too long.

"Shawn?"

He turned back. "Yeah?"

"Thanks."

* * *

Chris slammed the phone back onto its cradle. He angrily scratched the back of his neck, leaning forward on the edge of the bed. Contemplating what he should do.

He could go downstairs to confront her and probably increase their issues, or wait for Violet to come to him and solve said issues with a simple hug. He knew the latter wouldn't exactly work out the way he described it, but it sounded promising.

One thing was driving him to do the former, and risk driving a wedge between the two, and that was the fact that his sister - his little sister - was with the _Heartbreak_ Kid, Shawn Michaels. He knew it was just a name, just a "title", but he wasn't exactly convinced Shawn was a changed man.

After all, the term never came out of nowhere. Yes, he was a womanizer in the prime of his wrestling days, dating every floozy and breaking each and every one of their hearts, he might add.

The wise, intimidating voice in his head spoke up. _That was YEARS ago, Chris, many, many years ago._ _Your fucking stupid if you believe he still acts that way. _

The older sibling scowled. He knew he was blaming Shawn for the argument with his sister, and he knew it wouldn't do him any good. The fact remained that Chris was overprotective, and had it in for every man that Violet hung around with and/or dated.

He wasn't always like this, flashback to three years ago, when Violet had been engaged to a man by the name of Mathew. Six months before her wedding, the girl had discovered her fiance had been involved with another woman. She was terribly shattered when she found out, and so ever since then, the Ayatollah of Rock 'n Rollah hadn't been able to trust anyone with her. It broke his heart to imagine Violet go through that hurt again, so he'd do anything to prevent the past from repeating itself.

* * *

Shawn walked into the room he shared with Hunter. In the morning they'd be leaving for a flight to Chicago, but for now he couldn't get over the conversation he'd had with Violet. Wrapped in his towel, he collapsed onto his messy bed. Soon, an image of his own lips meeting Violet's smooth, supple ones came to mind. The older man quickly shot upright, gripping his head tightly, as if by doing so, it would drain him of such thoughts.

"Where in the world were you?"

Shawn re-opened his eyes to see Hunter gazing at him, his eyebrows raised. "The pool."

The larger man nodded and grinned, "Ahh. The pool...the place with amazing sights for single men like yourself... sights like... girls in bik--"

HBK cringed in repulse. "Don't say it Hunt. I wasn't there for _that_ reason. Pools are also known for swimming."

Paul Levesque sniggered. "Sure you were there for swimming."

An agitated Shawn growled. "Now's not the time. Leave me be."

Triple H's eyebrows raised in surprise. Never had the other half of Degeneration X talked to him like that before. "Whats wrong?"

The Texan said nothing as his mind spoke for him. _Everythings wrong,_ he thought, _the fact that I have a desire to kiss and carress someone I've only known for a week is wrong, and the fact that she's 17 years my junior doesn't make it any better._

* * *

* Lyrics: "Your Man" by **Down With Webster**.

I'd love to hear some feedback from you guys, but if not, its okay! I don't really like pressuring people into doing what they don't feel is necessary. x)  
Thanks so much for the alerts and favorites. You rock!


	5. Chapter Five: Closer

_Pure Intentions  
_Chapter Five: Closer

_Monday Night RAW / Philadelphia, Pennsylvania_

"Alright, sis. Its my time to go and kick Cena's ass again." Chris Irvin (known as Chris Jericho to the millions of wrestling fans gathered here in the venue and to the billions at home) smirked. His sister Violet wished him luck with a supportive hug. "Good luck! But I don't see how you'll need it."

Y2J kissed the top of her head. "Oh shut it, you 'lil suck up." He replied, grinning wildly. He was joking of course.

Violet crinkled her nose because he just had to have messed up her strawberry blonde hair. Her hands combed it through to fix it and make sure it wasn't tangled in any place. "Later, Chris."

He looked back over his shoulder as he was walked to the gorilla position. "See ya, Vi." There, he awaited to make his enterance.

Violet sighed, not knowing what to do. The hallway seemed completely void of anybody to talk to. No one was around, not even the staff and crew for some reason. The younger sister of Chris "Jericho" opted to leave after strolling throught the hallway for quite some time. She knew Chris would get mad, but her boredom was excruciating. She hoped he would understand.

As she neared the exit (that led to the parking lot), she heard a familiar male voice call out to her.

"Leaving without saying goodbye, then?"

She had a pretty good idea about who the voice belonged to. Violet turned back around to face the person, and her guess proved to be right. "Hey, Shawn."

His blue eyes carefully found hers. "Why are you leaving when your brother's in a match?"

She shrugged and inserted her hands into her jeans pockets. "I'm bored."

He remained silent before offering a suggestion. "You should stick around for him. If not, then stay for me."

Violet scoffed playfully. "Um...Ok. But its for him... not you." She said, causing Shawn's grin to fade.

"Aw, and I thought you liked me." He feigned a hurt look. Violet treaded over to him. "I guess not as much as you thought."

The Heartbreak Kid chuckled. "Ah, well, you cares what _you_ think."

The sister of Y2J clenched her fist and punched the older man's shoulder.

"Ow!"

Violet laughed, HBK rubbing his right arm with his left hand as the pain began to spread.

"What was that for?" He cried, broadening his smile.

"You know what that was for." She responded coolly, beginning to walk down the hall. He kept up to her pace as he strode beside her.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I admit, I still don't care what _you_ think."

This earned him another hit.

"Ow! Stop doing that!"

"Stop saying that! You make it seem like I'm nothing... _nobody_."

Shawn entered the room in which they had been in that previous Monday night with Violet following suit. "You know I'm kidding. I'd never say that to you if I wasn't joking."

Her green orbs softened as she sat down on the biggest leather couch. He joined her, sitting next to her; but keeping his distance at the same time.

_And Chris Jericho is down! The referee is starting the 10 count!_

Violet abruptly turned to the screen to see her brother lying very still on the mat. "Come on Chris!" She encouraged, well aware that he wouldn't be able to hear her. She hoped, and prayed silently that he was alright, while Shawn cheered him on as well.

The referee had reached six when Chris had finally gathered his strength to get to his feet. He tiredly ran and rolled back into the ring before he could be counted out.

"Yes!" Violet cried, happy that her brother was perfectly fine, and was able to get back to beating Cena within the following minutes. The man sitting beside her's lips pulled up in a smile at this sight. "Your adorable, you know that?"

Violet furrowed her brows in confusion and surprise at his comment. "Your just saying that.." She responded shyly, turning her attention back to the screen.

Mr. Wrestlemania sunk back into the couch comfortably. "I'm not... Your beautiful, Violet."

And within these words, Violet gazed wonderously at the man, and he did the exact same her. Their bodies inched closer together every silent second, their lips awaiting to meet.

"Am I interrupting anything?"

Instantaneously, the two glanced to the doorway. There stood Hunter, a familiar smirk planted on his face. Shawn was the first to stand up, rushing to his longtime friend. Assuring him he hadn't, in fact, interrupted anything. The Heartbreak Kid shot the young woman an apologetic look before disappearing with the Game.

Violet sighed and shrunk into the cushions of the couch. Of course, she knew what would have happened if Hunter hadn't walked in, but where would it have led?

* * *

"So where are we going?" Violet asked her brother curiously, all that he had told her was that they were going out to celebrate another top notch win over John Cena.

Chris kept his full attention on the road ahead, but it didn't keep him from grinning ear to ear. "We're meeting up with the guys for a few drinks," He informed, clearly still riding high on the outcome of the match.

The young woman smiled in thought, and continued to gaze dreamily out the window. She could not stop thinking about her moment with Shawn, and unbeknownist to her, he couldn't either.

The bright city lights pulled the blonde haired girl out of her visions, and she hastily put her questions about what would've happened to rest. "You haven't been talking to Michelle, much," Violet observed, casting a glance down at her outfit to see if it were appropriate for a night out.

She was wearing a flared peach skirt, which was pulled over her pale white tank top, and to tie it together, she added a black belt. Her hair was straightened, and on her feet were a pair of converse. (She was never really into the high heels most of the girls her age wore all the time.)

All in all, it was exceptional. Nothing really fancy, but nothing too overdone.

"Yeah... we've been having a bit of trouble agreeing on certain things..." Chris explained, using one hand to scratch the back of his neck. Violet bit her lip. Wondering what those things could be.

"Don't you want to work things out? Instead of not calling eachother?"

A long pause. A _very_ long pause.

"...I think Michelle and I might be heading for a divorce, Vi." The elder Irvin answered honestly, and regretfully. This news was shocking to the sibling, and she stared at Chris, open mouthed for quite some time before shaking out of it.

"Oh... I'm sorry," Violet soothed sympathetically, not knowing what else to say. "Are you okay?"

Chris shrugged before pulling the car over next to a local bar. "I'm fine."

Violet cast a glance over to her brother, who was also still seated. "Are you sure?" She inquired again, concerned that Chris was trying to hide his feelings to maintain his big brother image.

He fiddled with his fingers before replying. "Positive."

When the kin walked into the bar (a nice, and slightly classier than the average), they immediately spotted the table in which the men were gathered. As usual, it was the same bunch of guys Chris always hung around with. Hunter, Shawn, Orton and Cena. But this time, joining them, was a young, and smaller superstar. He was obviously shy, choosing not to jump into conversation unless he was brought into it.

Chris motioned for her to follow him, and she obeyed. Walking through the groups of rather large barflies, and trying not to think about their eyes on her fully exposed legs.

When the two approaced the lot, Shawn's eyes widened at Violet's ensemble, both surprised and taken by it. At once, he avoided her gaze, she felt herself deflate. She knew he was ignoring her because of the almost kiss. She couldn't say she didn't see it coming.

Her brother seated himself next to Hunter, summoning the server to order a beer. Violet, on the otherhand, preferred to stand. Unadmittedly, she was introverted about being here. She felt as if she were invading on these guys' night out, her body shivered. The elder Irvin noticed this.

"Vi, come sit!" He called, indicating the chair next to Heartbreak Kid. She shook her head no, but as she did, the young man whom she had been observing earlier, had gotten to his feet and pulled out the chair beside him. He offered her this seat without words, but with his adorable dark eyes. Smiling, the blonde haired green eyed woman giggled and sat next to the sweet boy.

"I'm Evan," He introduced, his face lighting up as he stuck out his hand. Violet shook it and became enthralled with his touch at once.

"Violet," She grinned, catching the protective eye of her brother, and evidently, Shawn's as well.

* * *

Thank you so much for reviewing, guys!


	6. Chapter Six: Morning After

**A/N: I apologize for the lack of recent updates... the main reason is reviews. I'm not gonna withhold a chapter unless I get an estimated amount or anyting like that. They just make me so insecure. Say, If I have about 15 chapters of this story, and only 8 reviews. It drives me to hit the "delete story" option. It doesn't matter, and I'll get over it. Its the writing that builds the story, not the reviews! :D**

**Thank you to **xHalosandwings, Caged Sparkle Black, Pinayprincesa, undermyumbrella, **and **SBMFanatic **for reviewing the previous five chapters! & Thank you to the (surprisingly) large amount of people who added this story to alerts and favorites. Love ya. xx  
**

* * *

_  
Pure Intentions_  
Chapter Six: Morning After

Shawn groaned groggily as he attempted to lift his seemingly heavy body from his bed. It proved futile, and he quickly fell back onto the pillows, suddenly hit with a wave of nausea. "Ugh," he grumbled miserably, bringing his hands to his forehead and begining to gently massage his temples.

As expected, it helped soothe nothing what so ever.

He tried to sit up again, succeeding this time as he struggled to his feet, gripping the wall for support. Never had he experianced such a painful --

"Thats a hangover for you."

Hunter sat in the armchair seat of the makeshift living room, grinning towards his longtime friend with bemusement. He was obviously enjoying the older man's suffering more than he should.

HBK scowled and trudged into the bathroom and exiting it a few minutes later. Still as grumpy as before.

"It is not a hangover," Shawn growled and then flopped back into bed. Not bothering to adjust his rather uncomfortable pajama pants in which were almost down to his thighs. His buddy laughed. "Sure its not," He said sarcastically, rubbing his chin and using the remote to shut the muted televison off. "Why were you tossing back the drinks so much last night?" He asked, his tone transitioning from amusement to curiousity. Although the man was pretty sure he knew the reason why.

"I don't know exactly," came the Heartbreak Kid's answer, "I guess I just wanted more... _fun_."

He shoved his face into his pillow and reflected on last nights coarse of events. The last thing he remembered (before sitting down at the bar and forcing the bartender to pour him more whiskey) was seeing Violet dancing provacitively with Evan.

It might have just been the aftershocks of drinking too much, but a bit of bile rose in the man's throat as he imagined the scene. He swallowed it down replusively and focused on thinking about something else.

He couldn't, though. All he could see was Evan's hands grasping the young woman's every curve, pulling his body closer to hers, and what sickened him more was that fact that she had let him touch her in that way.

Well, it might've been because of the few shots she had consumed, but she was about half sober and aware of her actions nonetheless.

At first, Shawn thought of -and considered- the prospect of punching the highflier's lights out, but then the careless side of him kicked in. Violet was Chris' problem to deal with, he thought, so he'd leave Irvine to it.

That was then he dropped himself on a stool, interacted with the group of usual barflies, and absorbed too much alcohol, prompting his friend John Cena to drag his drunken self back to the hotel.

"Fun? It looked like you wanted to escape the bar somehow."

Feeling somewhat better (from the hangover, that is), Shawn was freed of his thoughts and glanced at Hunter, confused. "What do you mean?" He asked sitting up, temporarily blinded because of the bright light shining through the small window. Hunter must've drawn the curtains to help wake him.

"What I mean is, you weren't exactly the friendliest to Chris' sister, and her little date--"

"He wasn't her date," HBK stated quickly, convinced that he had only said so because it was the truth. But even if Evan was, what did it matter? He shouldn't be worried or concerned or be feeling anything else towards the girl. She wasn't more than one of his co-workers little sister.

Hunter eyed him suspiciously, but ignored Shawn's comment, choosing not to bug the man. He knew that if he started an agruement, there's no way there'd be an end.

At least not until Shawn had won. Which (given the chance) could take forever. He was very head strong, and very stubborn. Yet the man was as equally as wise and won verbal fights just as much as he did physical ones.

So yes, it was a good decision not to press on to the subject.

The Game cleared his throat, "So there's no hostility or jealously towards Evan? And there's no 'romantic'", he air-quoted the word and continued, "feelings towards Violet?"

Tired of asking himself the same question, Shawn shook his head no. "And I mean it." He confirmed, resisting the urge to cross his fingers.

* * *

Meanwhile, the girl was already up and energized, ready to start the new day. She had woken up and found that she had been relieved of a hangover, so she was slightly celebrating that fact as well.

She slid into a pair of dark jeans that hugged her legs perfectly and swiftly placed on a black t-shirt that read the name of one of her many favorite bands: Armchair Cynics. She (and her Canadian friends) had seen them live in concert in Victoria, B.C, Canada a couple summers ago, and ever since then she had been addicted to their music.

Violet smiled childishly as she plotted to throw a pillow on the sleeping figure of her brother. Whom was covered in blankets (and was scaringly still) for some strange reason. She quietly crept out from the seperating wall and walked over to the bed.

Something was up...

In one motion Chris Irvine jumped up and forward from the other side of the bed, causing his sister to shriek in surprise, almost falling backwards. He landed on the pile of sheets and smirked, pleased at his handywork. Violet sat on the floor, a steamingly upset and utterly angry mess. She crossed her arms and pouted.

"You suck!" She cried, frowning. He had disrupted her feeling of calmness. He briefly flashed her his tongue, acting like a kindergarten she was also pretending to be, and got up from the mattress.

"You know what I've just remembered?" Chris asks, wheeling around, the expression on his face: slight amazement.

Violet snaps away from her fake, kid-like attitude. "What?" She inquires, wondering whats got him so worked up.

"Its your birthday in a few more sleeps," He grins, pausing before walking out the room's door. Violet rolled her eyes. "Duh."

* * *

After a day of shopping with Chris, which proved to be a disaster, Violet gently tossed her bags aside and collapsed onto the bed. She was exhausted from walking from every mall in sight to another, and was tired of the complaints heard from her older sibling. Although, she didn't blame him, males were naturally repelled by the idea of shopping with their sister, and if she had to go through about a dozen tuxedo stores, she would be iritated as well.

Not a minute later, her cellphone rang, the chorus of The Strokes' "Reptillia" echoing around the room. Violet dug the device out from inside of her pocket, pressed the "answer" button and lifted it to her ear. "Hello?"

An unfamiliar voice chirped excitedly. "Hey!"

She has no idea of who is on the other end, but she asks who she's speaking to, making sure to sound polite.

"Oh, its Evan!" The cheery young man answers, sending a smile to her lips."What's up?"

"Nothing, really... but actually... I called to apologize."

"For what?"

"For how I _handled_ you yesterday," He states, and she can somehow feel him flinch in shame. "I had no right to--"

Violet laughs and cuts his sentence short. "Its okay," She assures him, "You-We had a few drinks. Things happen."

A pause.

"I'm still sorry, drunken mishap and all." His voice is sincere and sweet, and she hears him swallow nervously. Even over the phone, she finds him cute. Violet can imagine him intwining his fingers and biting his lip. She saw him do all this the day before, and can still picture it vividly.

"I accept your apology, drunken mishap and all." She declares playfully.

He grins.

"But you had a good time last night, didn't you?" He inquires suddenly, his voice dropping at the last two words. Violet nods, and then realizes that she's on the phone and can't see her shaking her head.

"Of course," She affirms, taking strands of her strawberry blonde hair into her fingers and twirling them casually.

He slightly gains confidence from her comfirmation. "So I was wondering... If I'm not being too... eager, or straight forward... If you'd want to go out with me sometime. I mean, if your not busy or anything."

His invitation caught her off-guard, and she relapsed into images of the man who she foolishly believed she could stop thinking about. This moment brought an awkward silence, as Evan remained quiet, waiting for her answer.

"Its okay if you don't want to."

Violet broke out of the stream of contemplation instantly and nodded profusely. "I'd love to." she accepted, a little less enthusiastic than she was before. Did she say yes only because she thought it was the right thing to do? Or did she really want to see the highflier again?

Of course she did, she told herself, there's nothing else she'd rather be doing. Certainly, that was a lie.


	7. Chapter Seven: Simplicity

**A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews, favorites, etc! I swear, I apologize for being so down, I started off saying I wasn't expected reviews, but what did I do last chapter? XD. Sorry guys! I love you all. :)**

* * *

_Pure Intentions  
_Chapter Seven: Simplicity

"So... you've grown up into the WWE... but you don't like it?"

Evan glanced at Violet as he walked amongst the busy sidewalk, passersby occasionally staring at the RAW superstar. The blonde blushed as she strolled beside him, shoving her hands into the pockets of her navy blue coat shyly.

"Yeah..." She confirmed, keeping her gaze to her feet, knowing what he was going to ask next.

He nodded thoughtfully. "I respect that," He said causing the young woman to immediately look at the high flyer in confusion.

"You- what?"

Evan noticed the expression on her (adorable) face and couldn't help but supress a laugh. "I'm glad you told me that. Your not lying about where you stand about the company just because I work in it. Your honest." He said, his eyes lighting up when a smile pulled at her lips.

"Why, thank you," came Violet's quiet voice. Her cheeks burned a slight red before transitioning back to her normal (and pale, she might add) skin tone. "So are you," She told him, even though she didn't know him all that well. Admittedly, she was running of things to say, but wouldn't let that kill their conversation.

He grinned, and feigned shame. "Actually... I'm not," He confessed, shaking his head in pretend disapointment in himself. "I lied when I told you I haven't seen you at RAW before."

The two stopped walking. They were outside of their destination - a movie theater. Of course, he had insisted they go out to a (fancy) dinner, but she had informed Evan that it was a simple date she was looking forward to, and said that was how he could win her over. So, clearly, she had gotten her wish.

"I saw you a numerous amount of times there," Evan continued, focusing his attention on anything but her, "Backstage and all, with your brother... and I guess I grew... inf-intrested." He concluded, embarrassed at his obvious slip; he was about to say "infatuated".

But the younger sister of Chris Irvine was delighted over the fact that he had noticed her, and didn't hide the fact she was indeed happy. Violet smiled again, more lively this time, and enveloped his hand in hers supportively. She hesitated at first, thinking it was too bold a move to be applied on a first date, but was reassured when he intertwined their fingers. The superstar directed his eyes to meet hers.

"Don't be shy," She told him, "...I like you too." She squeezed his hand, and he returned the gesture.

The couple shuffled into the warm lobby of the cinema, their hands remaining joined.

-x-

A little less than two hours later, the pair emerged from the movie complex, their eyes squinting in response to the bright light.

Violet casually walked out onto the street, with Evan following. She lifted her arm to hail a cab, but the high flyer motioned for her to lower it, and instead, he put two fingers into his mouth and whistled.

It was cliche, but at once a taxi was instantly before them. Violet grinned. "Thank you." He waved her thanks away, and went on to open the door for the woman. "Anything for you, my dear," He replied playfully, and entered the vehicle once she had gotten in.

The driver (a rather large, italian man) glanced back at the two from the rear view mirror. "Where to?" He asked, his voice very deep and rough. For a second, Violet could've sworn he sounded like-

"Doubletree hotel, 237 South bound, please," Evan requested, and the cabbie nodded. Since he gave the driver (who's name seemed to be "Hal", according to his name tag) her hotel's address she thought he was dropping her off, but he appeared to have other plans.

"_Vi_, how 'bout we go to your room, or mine, whichever you prefer, and order in?" He asked, smiling so adorably she could not say no to the young man. She had also noticed how he had called her by her nickname. She wondered if he had one.

"That sounds perfect," She accepted, making his orbs brighten once again. He leaned in, apparently caught in the moment, and tilted his head so that when he kissed her, nothing awkward would happen. Like bumping noses, or foreheads. And despite her pounding heart, or her cautionary mind telling her not to, Violet shrugs off both inputs and inches closer to meet Evan as well.

It happens... their lips combine, and she feels him gently pull her in. She lets him do this, and her tense body soon relaxes into his. But instead of her thinking of this - the kiss thats actually happening - she can't help but re-imagine the kiss that _almost_ happened.

* * *

When Evan and Violet get to the room (hers of course), he's tickling her legs, from her knees upwards. She admitted it to him (that she's only sensitive to tickles in that area) during the drive to the hotel, and she's regretted it ever since.

"Ev..an...stop!" She cried, laughing hysterically in between syllables, but he doesn't let off. His surprisingly small fingers continued to dance all over the blonde Canadian's thighs, almost pushing her to the point of collapsing in laughter.

The door, meanwhile, swung open, and the two froze in position to be revealed to the room full of people. They straightened up quickly and entered, flushing slightly.

"Violet!" Chris called, beckoning her over to join him and a table surrounded by his (superstar) buddies. She shook her head no, and kept her distance. The reason being that Shawn was present, and she really didn't want to see him after what had happened.

"Where have you've been?" He asked, taking a sip of the beer he held, and placing it back down. He approached her, and finally acknowledged Evan.

"Um..." She started, unsure of how to tell him, but she put it bluntly, "On a date."

Her older brother's blonde eyebrows raised, and his focus turned to the high flyer. Who in turn, offered his hand to shake, and Chris eyed him curiously before taking it, making sure to grasp Evan's smaller hands with a firm grip. To ensure intimidation.

Violet rolled her eyes at her sibling's actions. Even if Chris didn't like Evan, it wasn't like he was able to stop them from going out again. When the two men were done, she sat on the bed, Evan doing the same.

Chris returned to the group of WWE co-workers.

"Do you wanna head to your room?" The woman whispered, making sure Chris was out of earshot. The man next to her nodded. "I'd like that," He said, bringing a smile to her face.

"Me too," She agreed, and the pair departed from the crowded room.

-x-

"So your sis and Evan, huh?" Hunter said after Violet and Evan left, watching Shawn closely, observing his reaaction to this news. But nothing happened, Mr. Wrestlemania sat, completely unfazed.

Chris grunted. "I guess."

John smirked, "I bet they're going to have fun. I heard they're going to _his_ _room_."

The Ayatollah of Rock 'N Rollah growled. "Watch your fucking mouth, Cena. You stay out of their relationship."

Shawn scowled as well at his comment, but remained silent. Choosing not to become a part of this, even though he was distraught at Violet's sudden attraction to Evan Bourne.

_What did Evan have that he didn_-

Oh no, he thought. That was completely and entirely out of context. He didn't (or shouldn't) give a care about the girl's rendezvous. But yet, it scared him to think that she was alone with a guy she had only been with for a day, and it sickened him to see that same guy's hands roaming her every curve.

Shawn didn't know her that well, but that didn't stop him from feeling so... Chris-like. In other words... protective, possesive and all that jazz. He sighed, and dove in to the conversation in which they guys were discussing which celebrity they would want to have a one night stand with. _Fun_.


	8. Chapter Eight: You've Got the Love

**A/N: A slightly longer chapter than most, just for you guys. I love and appreciate you all! xo. & The song mentioned is "You Got the Love" by Florance and the Machine. Which is kind of unfitting for this chapter, but hey, I love it. **

* * *

_Pure Intentions  
_Chapter Eight: You've Got the Love

After arriving at Richmond, West Virgina, the first thing Violet did was sleep. Her birthday was tomorrow (so was Monday Night RAW), and she had a feeling Chris would be getting her to do something that he thought was fun.

It had been approximately four days since she had gone on her first date with Evan, and they were still going strong. The thrill of dating again (since Matthew - she thinks of this and winces) had faded, but she wouldn't let her dulling senses get the better of her.

Evan was a great guy, and she was a thousand times lucky to have someone like him interested in her. He always treated her right - with respect, and didn't push for anything besides a kiss - and always made sure she was okay. One time, while roller-skating (on their third date) she had carelessly slid into the rink, and slipped, falling onto her back. He immediately came rushing forth, cradling her as if she were a baby. The young woman assured him she was fine, and the two began to skate properly.

When Violet thought about it, she laughed. He had acted as if she were glass, and she appreciated it, she really did, but it was frustrating as well as cute. If he always handled her delicately, what would happen if they ended up in bed together?

Instantly, the girl felt a blush creep up her cheeks as she pondered this idea. It was too soon to tell anything about their relationship, and the future of it.

* * *

At once, Chris shakes his sister violently, waking her from a decent slumber. "VI!" He shouted, obviously excited, but it was her birthday, not his, so why would he be?

The blonde mumbled incoherent words, exhausted beyond belief. But she finds the will to get up, so she does. Chris is sitting on the edge of her bed, and her eyes flutter fully open. _27_, she thought, _a year closer to thirty._

This almost strikes her down, but she brushed away the negativity, wanting to enjoy the day instead of loathing it. "Mornin' bro," She greets groggily, trying her best not to yawn between words. Goodness, what time did she even go to bed last night?

"Happy Birthday, Violet!" He yelled, for no apparent reason besides this unusual enthusiasm. Rubbing her ear drums, the girl got out of bed and walked to her suitcase. She pulled out an outfit of darkwash jeans and a simple white tank top, making sure her brother looked away before slipping into the material.

"Okay, so whats going on?"

The eldest Irvine pretended not to know what she was going on about. "What do you mean?" He asked, with his blue eyes sparkling with innocence. This caused Violet to giggle.

"I know your up to something, your not always this _enthused_ about my b-day. What is it?"

Chris "Jericho" rolled his eyes jokingly; knowing that he had been caught. "Oh, nothing... just the fact that I got us some airtime tonight to pronounce your birthday to the whole entire world!" He stood up once again, and paused to fill his lungs.

The announcement had been said in one breath, and boy, he almost choked on the words.

Violet's mouth fell open at once, the green of her irises deepening. "What?" She exclaimed in shock, getting up from the bed, not believing what the man had just told her. If it was true, would she want this? To be involved (even momentarily) in a world-wide television broadcast, and revealing to the millions watching (and the thousands in the crowd) that she was Chris' sister, and certainly shattering the 'not-caring-about-anybody-but-myself' attitude he always played up, each and every night.

But, at the same time, she was touched. He would do something like this for her? Even if she couldn't do anything like this for him in return? Her eyes began to swell, and afraid for him to see her unshed tears (a fact he would most definitely be teasing her about) She turned away from him, covering her face with her palms.

His face fell, and he noticed this instantly. "Vi..? Whats wrong?"

He walked towards the weeping woman, and wrapped his arms around her slim waist, craning his neck to see if she was crying. She was. "Violet, did I do something wrong?"

She twisted her body around to face him. His arms remained encircled. She removed her hands to expose her pink cheeks and puffy eyes. "Of course not," she whispered, "You've made me feel so... special."

It took a moment for him to register this. "...Then why are you crying?"

The younger sibling hesitated before telling him her reason, as she did so, she wiped away the unecessary tears that rolled down her face. "Because I feel I'm failing as a sister... you do so many wonderful things for me, and I can't even return the favor. Sometimes I feel as if I shouldn't be here, I should be back in Canada... and even there I had no life."

Once she finished speaking, her brother looked down at her with a very, very numbed expression, that told her at once 'you can't be serious.'

"You are not failing me as a sister Violet, and what I do for you, I don't expect anything in return. I just do it for the sake of making you happy," He affirmed, keeping his grasp on her tight, "You can go back to Canada, but all I want from you is to be here... with me. Thats all I'll ever want from you."

Violet returned his soulful gaze with some uncertainty still lingering in the air above the two.

"Well... that and a little nephew or niece," He mused, bringing a grin to his younger sister's face. "In a few years of course," He added, throwing in a few laughs.

The blonde woman buried her face into his neck, letting her worries and slight paranoia wash away.

_

* * *

_

_Monday Night RAW / Richmond, West Virginia_

She stood with her back against him, with his body pressed into the wall. He held her supportively (his arms wrapped around her shoulder blades), occasionally leaving light, butterfly kisses upon her neck. Everytime he did so, she felt a shiver run through her spine. It was a tender feeling, one that she had only felt so many weeks ago. When she almost had a moment with the man who shouldn't be named. She thought of this statement and burst into giggles.

She felt Evan smile from behind her. "Happy birthday, Vi." He said, again.

Violet smiled in genuine appreciation, after recollecting the day's events. Everyone she knew from back home had called her just to wish the very thing her boyfriend (of a week and a day) had mentioned.

She didn't feel necessarily older, but somewhat wiser. It could easily have been from the talk she had with Chris earlier, though.

Evan's scheduled match was up next, after her brother's, whom she was observing from the monitor. She watched as he landed a Lionsault on one of WWE's rather larger men, Vladimir Kozlov. It sends him careening back, but being as huge as he was, the Moscow Mauler did not fall. The match isn't as effortless as it was with Cena, but somehow its more managable, more tactical. It gives Chris a chance to use his talented mind, and everyone who's watching knows that he's doing so. He always does.

During a brief pause, Violet finds the bravery to wiggle around against Evan, and to forcefully drive her lips to his. It takes a while for him to respond, but when he does he's attempting (for her sake) to be as rough (not too much) as she needs him to be. But their considerably heated kiss is interrupted when - no surprise - Shawn walks into the room. He halted, and promptly turned his eyes to the screen. The couple reluctantly pulled away, with Violet unexplainably feeling some gravitational pull towards the other man.

"Um, hey Shawn." Evan Bourne greets politely, releasing the girl from his hold. HBK awkwardly glanced around. "Evening, Evan," He returns, also nodding curtly. The three are submerged in silence for a minute before the high flyer announced that he should be heading to the locker room to prepare. "Bye, Vi," He bade. He leaned in for a peck, and she granted him that pleasure before he left the room.

The Heartbreak Kid sighed and began to stare at the girl quizzically."Are you happy with him?" He asked as if he had been yearning to voice the question since he had seen them together last week.

Her heart beats profoundly, and she isn't sure why. For a second, a quiet voice inside her head instructs her to say no, but she doesn't. Instead, she lifts her chin (in a manner that tells him that she's not so sure- it isn't a fact, but he senses it) and replies simply. "Yes."

At that moment, a sweating, heaving Chris stumbles in from another acounted victory. "Violet!" He cries, drunkenly happy, "I won!"

She takes her irises off of the Showstopper and wheels around to high five The Ayatollah of Rock 'n Rollah, since she wasn't in the mood for his unpleasant smelling odour rubbing off on her. "Its time!" He shouts, and the man behind the two furrows his (blonde) eyebrows in confusion. "Um, for what?" She asks, but is answered when two cameramen enter the fray.

"Chris..."

"Just relax, and act as if they're not there," He directs, then doing so. She inhales deeply and tries to avoid meeting the camera's lense.

In a few seconds, they went on air, the audience fell silent. Violet felt as if she were going to faint. She had never been good with unwanted attention.

-x-

Afterwards, Evan was riding high, even though he had lost (yet another) match to the Miz. It wasn't a big deal, and he knew he would notch a win sooner or later.

"You were great, babe," He complimented, a nod to her (sudden) appearance on RAW, and she blushes. "Thank you."

It had turned out great, actually. She pretended as if she were unaware of the cameras, and looked onwards at Chris - who was by now, a professional. But, it was pretty plain; he had wished her a happy birthday, she had congratulated him, and for a moment, she could hear the crowd cheering. That was a first.

Chris at the moment was gone from her sight. He had mentioned something about going to see a friend, but that 'brief' visit had turned into a half an hour disappearance.

Violet shrugged warily, knowing that he was just getting caught up with that friend. But it was quite unusual, seeing as he's been leaving the hotel for more than three hour periods of time and then coming back later. Intoxicated, sometimes.

It was wrong to think such suspicious things about her brother, but how could she not? He was acting so strange. Not that Chris was normal to begin with. Violet sniggered, and declined when her boyfriend offered to get her a drink of water. He accepted this, and exited the room. Telling her he'd be right back.

The younger Irvine found herself alone, in a enclosed space with her cellphone dead. She hadn't recieved many texts, anyways. She took it upon herself to sing a casual tune, until Evan returned, anyways.

_"Sooner or later in life, the things you love you lose, but you've got the love to see me through." _She closed her eyes, the passion (of her love of music) taking over. _"You've got the love, you've got the love."_

A noise was heard from infront of her, and it was confirmed as a clap. She re-opened her eyes and saw none other than Shawn Michaels leaning against the doorframe. Seeming to be watching her interest. Her breathing slowed, and her attitude turned from musical to angry. Again he had walked in on her whether she was singing, or sharing a moment/kiss with Evan.

"Like I said, you should make a career of that."

Violet ignored his comment, and peeled her attention away from him. When it was clear he wasn't getting a reply from her he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"I'm sorry, Violet... You know, for what happened."

The girl narrowed her eyes and scoffed. "Are you sorry because it didn't happen? Or because it almost did?" The 'almost' kiss. Just from the memory, his face flushed. In embarrassement, and in complication. "Violet..."

"No!" She interjected, growing more furious by the second. She walked right up to the man, boldly. "I don't get why you expect for me to talk to you, when all you've done the previous two weeks was avoid me-!"

The young woman was interrupted from what was about to become a lecture by his lips crashing against hers. By his abrupt action, she was beyond surprised, and didn't respond until a moment later, but when she did, their kiss caught ablaze. His hands subconsciously landed on the small of her back as the girl placed hers around his neck.

And as satisfying as it was, and no matter how much the Canadian wished it wouldn't end, the two pulled apart, struggling for some much needed air. It was quiet and all that was audible was the sounds of the roaring crowd. Both Shawn and Violet stared wonderously at one another, amazed at what had just transpired.

"I'm back."

The Heartbreak Kid jumped. The younger man's voice almost scaring him out of his skin. They were lucky, if they had stayed together for a few seconds longer... He shuddered, he really didn't want to think of the consequences right now. And giving Violet another apologetic look, he immediately shuffled out of the room.

"Whats the problem with him?" The high flyer asked, and to Violet's relief, proving that he had no idea what had just happened. It was mutual, because neither did she.

* * *

Ahaha. ;)


	9. Chapter Nine: Bittersweet Symphonies

**A/N: I'm sorry about the location errors throughout the story, but I'm Canadian and I've never been so good with geography in America, haha. Forgive me. :P xo.**

* * *

_Pure Intentions  
_Chapter Nine: Bittersweet Symphonies

Within the following week, not many things have happened; Chris was still leaving for large periods of time to mysterious places. Violet never bothered to ask him what he was doing, for everything he's done for her, she owed him his privacy. At least that.

Everyday he would just depart from wherever the two happened to be, whether it be a crowded mall, restaurant or the usual hotel room, he would bade her goodbye and just take off.  
Sometimes, the reason for his absence boggled her immensly and the unknown element of it caused her mind to conjure up obscene scenarios, which she'd immediately reject. Chris was just probably meeting a friend, she convinced herself of this. He just forget to mention whom it was. Everytime.

It was Monday yet again, and Violet was slightly dulled at the prospect of attending RAW. It's excitement had worn off. She'd rather be spending the day playfully making fun of Evan's childish grin. Evan, she repeated his name, tasting it on her tongue.

She loved him, she was sure of it, how could she not? He treated her like she wanted, didn't pressure her into going out and showered her with affection. Somedays, she'd be the one complimenting his every move, making sure he wasn't the only person caring for their relationship. This was crucial, because she was certain every failed companionship she had ever had failed because her boyfriend felt as if he were doing the only caring and whatnot. At the same time Violet knew she shouldn't have to work towards a relationship, it should come naturally, effortlessly.

She pondered these beliefs whilst her brother was no doubt getting ready to leave yet again. He brushed his thick, blonde hair back, glancing in the little mirror that hung near the bedside wall. The girl smiled. She had never seen him so happy before. What had gotten into him?

"Okay Vi," He announced, breaking her from the questionable brilliance that was her mind. He inhaled deeply, and threw a grin her way. "I'm going, be back later," He said, and walked over to her figure - in which was seated on the comfortable armchair - to give her a kiss on the cheek. She returned the loving gesture and watched as he tread back over to the door, unlatching it.

"Bye!" She half-yelled, hearing the door click a confirming shut. Not a minute afterwards, she heard a faint vibration. It was his forgotten phone on the nightstand. Violet ran over to the small piece of furniture and grabbed the iPhone.

Now, she had never been one to snoop into her brother's personal life, but in clearly visible in big white letters were the words:

(1) new text: from Jay

She stared at the screen for a few moments, registering this new information. This must be the person he's seeing, she figured, just a normal, male buddy. The younger Irvine shrugged it off, and went to sit down on the mattress beside her. Still holding the cell phone in her hands.

For a moment, she wondered if it was okay to check his contacts. After all, she wouldn't be doing anything except innocently finding out who Chris was in contact with. Her finger miraculously somehow found the button (she wasn't such a whiz with technology, so it surprised her) and the list appeared.

All Chris' "buddies" were just his co-workers. John, Hunter, Mark, etc.

It was to be expected, she concluded, and was about to exit the list when another name materialized: Shawn. Violet blinked. When did this happen? Did the older man even know how to work a cell-phone?

She sniggered at the idea, but then scolded herself for thinking such idiotic, juvenile things. The man had earned so many people's respect, and undoubtedly, hers. No matter what had happened.

So she didn't seem to hestitate before pressing the call button.

-x-

"Hello?"

The abrupt nature of his deep voice quick-started her heart. He actually picked up. Not that she wasn't expecting him to, but the woman thought he'd be too busy to answer or something.

Upon hearing nothing in response, the Heartbreak Kid repeated again. "Hello?"

She waited, biting her lip in nervousness. Why did she call him again?

"Chris? Is this some sort of prank thing?" He asked, a pinch of confusion hidden in his tone. She cleared her throat and replied quickly.

"Its Violet."

He returned her earlier silence with his own, but after a moment or two, he spoke up. "Oh," He said in obvious surprise, a bit taken aback by her phoning him, "Um... how are you?" He inquired, only doing so to be polite, she presumed.

"I'm good... and you?"

"Fine, fine..."

Silence.

"I don't mean to be rude, but why did you-?"

The younger woman interrupted his question of motive, "I was hoping I could see you today." She told him bluntly, not being able to stand another second of this rather awkward encounter. As if seeing him face to face would be any different.

That had caught him off guard as well. "You were? ...Why is that?"

At the other end of the line, she used one arm to apply raspberry lip gloss to her dry lips. "I don't know," She responded honestly. There was no explanation for her wanting to see him, but she assumed it was because of the "incident" as she referred to what taken place exactly seven days ago. The air needed to be cleared between them.

She was dating Evan, and had been at the time. So she still felt guilty for doing such a thing behind his back. He didn't deserve that.

"Uhh," The wrestling legend struggled to find words but managed to string together a simple "okay."

Violet felt somewhat relieved to know he wouldn't try to avoid her. "Say we meet at Irregardless in about an hour?" She invited, the pitch of her voice slightly raising in anxiety.

He hurriedly nodded but remembered he was on the phone. "Sure." He accepted and made a rush to write down the address she was informing him of. "I'll see you later," Violet affirmed, beaming subconsiciously.

Unbeknownist to her, Shawn smiled, "I shall see you as well."

Oddly, the moment resembled the one her brother and HBK had a few weeks back in some sort of way.

* * *

"So... um... what's new?" Shawn asked, breaking the ice briefly as the two sat in the cafe, not knowing what to do or say next. Like always when they hung around eachother, it was a tad uncomfortable at first, but Violet was pretty sure it (their conversations and eye contact) would get friendlier as time progressed. It was only like this because of what occurred the previous RAW.

"Do you know anybody within the WWE named Jay?" Violet suddenly questioned, prompting the older man to furrow his brows in both confusion and concentration.

"Hmm.." He hummed as he attempted to recollect the real names of his co-workers. "Oh!" He exclaimed, the answer striking him, "Jay - Jason Reso."

"...?"

"Christian."

"Oh."

HBK chuckled at the sight of the young woman, she was twisting her lips in thought, and it couldn't have looked anymore kid-like. She noticed his observance of her.

"What?" She demanded, feigning arrogance. The Canadian girl delicately took a sip of her latte and went on to glare at HBK. He grinned and shook his head. "Nothing."

"Its obviously something!" Violet cried out, still pretending as if his laughing at her was maddening. "Tell me what!"

He scratched his cheek thoughtfully and continued to laugh. "... You just look so childish when your thinking." This comment brought a blush to the woman and she smirked. "Its a trait I take pride in." She stated, nodding her head defiantly.

And before Shawn could re-enact the scene in which the two were supposedly regretful for, he snapped his mind off of doing so. Instead he turned to the topic in which had been set.

"Why'd you ask me about Jason?"

Violet contorted her face in complication. "I don't know... my brother's been hanging around someone a lot lately, and he hasn't been telling me with whom. I figure its this Jason guy."

This statement tapped into a memory of a few nights ago, when Mr. Wrestlemania had walked in on Jay and Chris in a rather... intimate position. They had their arms encircled around one another's body, and their faces had been inches away as if they had been... _kissing_. He had left unnoticed and couldn't make sense of any of it. Chris was married, wasn't he?

And now, realizing what had been going on, he was sitting with Chris' little sister. She had no clue that her sibling may be cheating on his wife with his bestfriend... who happened to be another guy.

"Shawn? You okay?"

Her voice brought him out of the somewhat shocked state he was in. He felt the color that must've drained from his face slowly replenish. "I'm alright," He said a bit shakily. The man didn't know if he should tell her or not.

It fell quiet yet again and all that was audible was the noise and chatter of the surrounding customers.

"...Are we ever going to talk about it?"

He glanced at Violet. Her wavy blonde hair was in perfect contrast with her green eyes and the peach colored dress she had on. He noticed her appearance for the first time that day and concluded she looked gorgeous. Didn't she always?

"Talk about what?"

"You know..." She started, lowering her head shyly, "The kiss."

The Heartbreak Kid felt his body tense. There were so many things he had been meaning to ask her, but none had to relate to this touchy subject. He wanted to stay as far away from the topic as possible.

"Can't we just forget it?" He reasoned, his blue eyes pleading with hers. She returned the expression.

"I'm afraid not," She answered, "I know you can't stop thinking about it."

His smirk returned, as he was eager to transition the mood from serious to light. "A confident assumption on your part, aint it?" He mused.

Violet's face contained a frown, and it didn't change despite the joke he had just made. "You can joke all you want, but I know you felt something as well." She said as she got up to leave, he knew he had hit a nerve.

And before he could stop himself, he bitterly cast her farewell with his last words: "Tell Evan I say hi."

She doesn't turn around, and with what he's just done, he doesn't expect her to.

* * *

At Monday Night RAW in Raleigh, North Carolina, it was the same repeat of last week. Chris had won a victory over yet another superstar, and Violet and Shawn had been in avoidance of each other. No one except Evan noticed the icy barracade that appeared when the older man walked into the room.

He had briefly paused to talk to Ayatollah of Rock n Rollah, and to congratulate him for his victory whilst Evan and his girlfriend sat nearly on the other side of the room.

"You okay?" Evan asked, with his arm around her shoulders and her body leaned into his. She sighed warily. "Yeah... just tired."

He brought his lips to her temple and pressed softly, "I love you," He said, immediately earning a wide-eyed stare from Violet. "What?"

"I love you," He repeated.

The younger Irvine smiled at his boldness. "I love you too," She returned with the same emotion as he. Evan embraced her gently with her head against his chest, allowing her to listen to his heartbeat.


	10. Chapter Ten: I'm Not Perfect

**A/N: This chapter's longer than others, and I hope you like it! And thank you so much for the reviews, faves, and saving to alerts. I also appreciate the 1,000 views on this story! It amazes me so much that that many people have looked this over. xD Ahaha. **

* * *

_Pure Intentions  
_Chapter Ten: I'm Not Perfect

Violet sat on the foot of her bed, chewing her lip and biting back a question. She was watching her brother tie up his sneakers (which she considered odd - he had always refused to step out of the hotel without his signature pair made of italian leather). He'd been acting strange, as in "ways that are not usual to Chris Irvine".

Aside from the fact that he's been gone for large amounts of time to somewhere he still hasn't told her, he's been behaving un-Chris-like. He'd come in late around 2 AM, stumbling and surprisingly not drunk, which he used to, and would just fall into bed. She didn't question him about it, because she knew she had to respect his privacy, she repeats, she owes him at least that.

And he would also stay the night at wherever he was, this of course worried her, but he'd always come back safe the next morning. Each and every time he did so, he'd arrive exactly at 8 AM. It confused her, and made her overly curious.

What the heck was he doing when he was out, especially all night?

And now, she sat pondering these facts, waiting for him to say something. To wish her goodbye as he got up to leave. Nothing.

Its been like that lately, she observed.

The blonde got up to hug him goodbye, but he was already at the door, and as he thrust it open and stepped out, she let it fall shut without calling out to him. Her figure sunk back onto the mattress slowly, uncertainly.

It was as if he was in a trance of some sort. Or maybe he'd just realized how he'd paid more attention to her than he had himself and decided to make lost time up. She sighed, a negative expression marring her pretty face. A thought occurred to her randomly; the realization that she was hurting so many people at the moment.

Evan... _because she had kissed someone other than him behind his back. He didn't deserve that. _Chris... _because she was her clingy, dependant, self_. _And she prevented him from having a life; one without a dragging sister._

Shawn... _because she blamed everything on him. Blamed their longing to be together on him._

The girl eased herself onto her back, staring up at the blank, white ceiling. If only she could just dream herself into a world in which she wasn't so horrible to the people she loved... And right before she drifted off into a slumber, that was when she decided that she was going to come clean to Evan about her meaningless kiss with Shawn.

Hopefully the sickening feeling she'd been harboring since it happened would vanish along with her guilt. It was all wishful thinking from there on.

* * *

Shawn sighed as he sat perched by the window of the room. As he looked out from the seventh floor, he watched every passing car, every moving person. It had hit him how blank, and void his life seemed to be.

He'd recieve nothing more than a weekly thrill, one that wore off quickly. He considered the idea of retiring, of leaving for good almost every day now. This life wasn't as exciting as it was before, but he contemplated his past years of the career - no, although it may have provided for him and his family, it wasn't a career, it was much more than that.

A hobby, a choice... an enjoyment.

And despite its recent lack of adrenaline, he still cared for it as much as he did back in his prime. Who could not? So much history was written in the events, such extraordinary things were accomplished. He was apart of the accomplishments, forever binded into the history. He would have to be a fool to quit now. Especially since he was approaching another chance at a championship.

He turned his attention above. A vast cover of grey, dulling clouds blanketed the sky, hinting towards a rain or thunder storm. Or both. They usually came together, didn't they?

A few moments of this contemplating lead to the discovery of his undisclosed admittance. It was very well hidden within himself, and he hadn't brought into focus until now. He liked to think that he'd felt the rush of happiness long before Violet came along; felt it in his bones, felt it flowing through his veins.

That, of course, was the obvious lie.

* * *

The feeling swirled in her stomach, she froze, she felt as if she were about to be sick. The sensation was gross, and left her feeling anxious, clammy. Evan, who was dropping soft, tender kisses along her neck, didn't seem to notice. His hands continued to trail down to the buttons of her periwinkle blouse, and very slowly - cautiously - he undid each and every one of them.

She was too distracted to stop him, although if she did, it would probably help (a bit of) her problem go away. She had never handled guilt well, especially with such an honest family. She could tell lies, that was for certain, but she couldn't deal with the consequences. No matter how mild or uneffective they may be.

Violet recovered from the temporary numbness and realized the high flyer's fingers were dragging across her bare abdomen. Her upper body was clad in nothing but a bra now, the shirt still hanging on her arms. The motion brought both a tingling to her skin and a slight ringing to her ear - signaling in a very Violet-like fashion that she must not continue this further.

Breathing a little heavily than she was before, she clasped his venturing hands and prevented him from convincing her that this was alright - she wanted it, but she didn't want him to awaken that untouched desire that was concealed inside of her. It wouldn't be right, to let it go on without telling him what happened. She was just not the person to forget something, as little as it may seem.

"Evan," She breathed, shaken and unnerved by his actions. The man slid back up to her upper body and remained above her, using his forearms to hold himself up. He was stronger than he appeared, she observed.

"Yes?" He smiled, and brushed away a strand of her golden hair that had fallen in front of her eyes. At the contact of his touch, she closed her eyes, and the heavy feeling had returned.

"We.." She started to say, but corrected herself, it was her in this tangle, not him, "-I can't do this."

Evan stayed still, believing he had taken this too far, or had pushed her - forced her into this position. His eyes widened at this revelation. "I'm sorry-"

"Its not you," She interjected and almost slapped herself for using the beginning of an infamous break-up line, "What I mean is, I- I have something to tell you."

A somewhat sigh of relief escaped his lips, and his dark orbs softened. "Okay then, Vi. What is it?"

The prospect of telling him scared her, and it dawned on her that this was the moment, and that upset her even more. What would he do? Would he get mad and break up with her? Would he send her away until he forgave her? What would _she_ do?

She bit the inside of her cheek and resisted to meet his gaze, and that was hard to do with some one, especially when they're right directly hovering over you. She exhaled, and waited a few minutes before coming out with it.

"I...I... I kissed someone else," Violet confessed, and at once, she felt light again, but a saddening emotion came forth as she watched Evan's face fall. "What?" He whispered in disbelief, looking somewhat defeated. He didn't even look that way when he'd lost a match, and now, she realized she was the one who caused the pained expression on his handsome features.

Immediately, tears sprang to her eyes. "Im... I'm sorry," She squeeked, reaching out to cup his cheeks, but he collapsed beside her. Unable to process what she had just admitted.

"When?" He asked, as he stared up at the ceiling. It was a strange sight, to see this usually lively high flyer, drained of his enthusiasm, of his spirit. She kept her eyes locked on the bedsheets as she twisted her body to him.

"About two weeks ago..." She answered. He groaned briefly. While they were dating she had done it, he knew.

Violet flinched at his next question and sat up. She rebuttoned her shirt. "Who was it?"

That, she didn't know if she should reveal. Sure, Shawn was apart of this - physically - but he needed not be included in the misery she brought on herself. Violet stayed quiet, refusing silently not to respond to his inquiry, although he had much a right to know.

"I take it your not going to tell me," Evan predicted after what seemed like an hour of maddening silence. He was angry, she could tell from the tone of his voice.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry's not going to solve anything," He replied rather harshly. A tear fell onto her cheek and onto the pillow that was in her grasp.

In the next minute, as Evan was remembering the RAW two weeks ago, and soon the identity of Violet's one-time lover (he barely accounted as one, but what could he call the person?) unfolded.

"Shawn..." The man said as if he were tasting the name, and he knew that it was indeed HBK who had placed his lips upon his girlfriend's. He bolted upright instantly upon figuring this out. "Why him?" He asked bewildered, "Him, of all people?"

By now, the small framed 'Air Bourne' wrestler was on his feet, glancing at Violet as if she were insane. "Good God, Violet! He's older than -"

The younger sister of Chris Jericho shot up to Shawn's defense; she really, really hated how society was practical and hating towards relationships where one person was older than the other by more than what was considered the 'appropriate' years. And now, with normally sweet Evan repeating the same words as many others, she absolutely loathed it even more. If that were possible.

"Don't you dare start that with me!" She cried, rather dramatically while jumping off the bed to match him. She tore herself down because of what she did, and now she was practically defending it. No, she was sticking up for Shawn, because she wanted to, because it was the only thing she could do.

"Start it with you?" His voice raised, and she didn't ever think she'd see him as mad as he was now. "Your the one who kissed a man thats like twenty years older-!"

She cut him off again to interrupt him with the truth. "Seventeen years older," Violet shot back, "And if you actually got to know him, then maybe you'd know that theres plently more things about him more appealing than his age!"

Evan's voice faded, as he ran out of things to say. He was still furious, his nostrils were flaring and his eyes were icily cold. Violet was steaming as well, with her arms crossed and her face almost a dangerous red, it was surprising their rage hadn't started a fire, or recieved a complaint from the neighbors. After all, they were still in his hotel room, and the fellow guests could probably hear them so well that they seemed as if they were practically in the hallway.

"And maybe, if you listened, you'd realized that I was sorry!" Her eyes were glazed and swollen, since she'd been crying during all this time. Evan was hit with a sudden wave of sympathy and sorrow, but her shocking confession had struck a nerve in him. Caused him to become insanely jealous. Even though they had been dating for a short amount of time, he felt the need to protect her, to guard her.

Now what he wanted, despite the fracture of his heart to know she'd kissed _Shawn_, was to apologize, and to hold her until everything was fine again. But it wouldn't happen, they both knew that.

"I guess you don't want to believe me, Evan. I'm really sorry for kissing somebody behind your back, but I'm not ready yet to apologize that it was with one person you may not like, because as it happens, I think he's great."

The woman was walking (more like stomping) towards the door, and he tried to persuade her to stop and think about what she was doing, but being as stubborn and headstrong as she was, Violet wouldn't have it.

"Vi...please lets talk about this..." Evan tried again, for the fifth and final time.

She shook her head no and stepped out of the room, and instead of slamming the door (something most people do after they depart from a fierce argument) she made sure that it hardly made a noise as it swung shut.

* * *

Shawn didn't know how to get the subject out in the open. He didn't want to throw the sudden questions he had in mind at Chris, nor did he want to wait longer. They already spent an hour on small talk. Cheap, little conversations to lessen the awkward and uncomfortable mood. Of course, they were friends, they were wrestling partners sometimes, even opponents. But as of right now, with the suspicious looking curious gleam in the older man's blue eyes, he felt as if he was about to be interrogated instead of having a friendly talk with an old buddy. And Chris had his theory about what HBK wanted to know...

"So, um...Chris..."

Before Shawn said anything else, Violet came in, gently closing the door behind her and glancing at the two in surprise. "Oh," She said as if she expected not to see either. 'Mr. Wrestlemania' wondered exactly where the girl assumed her brother would be.

She tread over to the nightstand and picked up the box of tissues on it, she pulled one or two and used them to wipe her eyes. Shawn noticed this. He also noticed that her make-up was running. A good sign that she had been crying.

"Are you okay?" He asked, examing the woman's appearance. Her eyes were puffy, and the tear stains were visible in the sunlight blaring through the window. He furrowed his eyebrows. Why would she be crying? Unless her and Evan got into a fight...

That was it, he thought, they had gotten into a fight. And a pretty big one at that. He noted that they were dating an estimated three weeks, and tried to come up with a reasonable excuse for his now apparent anger towards the boy.

The man stood up, Chris remained seated, and took a few steps towards her. "Violet..."

She smiled or attempted to, anyways. It was weak, forced and strained all at once. "Shawn."

Chris watched, wordlessly as the pair unhesitantly walked towards one another. In a manner of five seconds, Shawn had his sister in a consoling hug. Her face buried in his neck.

He should have been the one to do this, but he decided to hold back. It was an odd sight to behold, his younger sibling in a comforting embrace from one of his co-workers. For one reason or the other, he didn't say a thing, or object to their contact, anyways.

They pulled away after a long pause of silence, nothing more audible than Violet's quiet sobs. She seemed to be better than she had been before. "Thanks," He heard her mumble, rather graciously to Shawn.

He nodded. "Want to tell me whats the matter?"

It was weird, this exchange, because Chris wasn't doing a damn thing about it, which scared him to say the least. He was always protective when it came to Violet, but not now. For some unexplainable reason.

Even though the unusual couple were talking in whispers, despite the fact Chris was with in their proximity, and could hear every word they were saying.

"Had a fight... with... Evan.." Violet's voice grew quieter and the man who was referred to as 'Y2J' could barely hear her anymore.

"I'm sorry..." Shawn said with genuine sympathy for that fact. "What about?" He asked not a moment later. Violet hesitated and warningly glanced at Chris to remind Shawn that he was present. He kept his arms folded as he observed.

Instead of plainly telling him, she whispered into his ear. He hugged her again.

What the hell was going on?


	11. Chapter Eleven: Stay

**A/N: New pen name. Ahahaahahahaha. *shrinks back in fear of annoying you guys* My last, I swear. Additional Note/Warning: This chapter is quite lame, and I don't think I deserve any reviews, considering its mainly fluff and whatnot- cheesy things, but I promise the next few chapters will include at least a minor amount of**** conflict.**

I apologize in advance for wasting your time with this awful read.

* * *

_Pure Intentions  
_Chapter Eleven: Stay

Foolishly, and despite the warning signs, Chris decides to leave long after his sister and Shawn's odd exchange. He trusts her, but doesn't yet know whats happening with her, but doesn't ask anything else as he gets ready to depart.

Violet's in the shower, and he can hear her singing lightly; the lyrics of her favorite songs. It brings a smile to his face, and somehow, when he realizes he's going to leave the two alone together, a wave of security rushes through him. He actually believes that with the older man, Violet will be alright. He doesn't know if this irregular feeling was brought on by the sight of seeing him console her, or possibly the fact that he was going completely insane–or maybe both–but he chooses to let this new feeling control his judgement.

Chris exits the room, and Shawn is left laying on the bed, sorting through his options, his memories and what-not. Especially those on the topic on Violet and Evan's fight/break-up.

And when the woman emerges from the bathroom, clad in her mint green pajama bottoms and tank top, all thoughts completely dissipate. He's nearly staring, but forces himself to concentrate on blank, dulling things, such as the wall behind the television. It helps, although not entirely.

He clears his throat and makes a move to stand up, but her sudden words keep him frozen in place.

"...You can stay the night," She says, running her hands through her damp, darkened hair. Her eyes are beckoning for him to accept, but her attitude tells him thats only if he wants to.

Shawn, whom was laying on her bed (being on Chris' made him rather uncomfortable) slowly nods (he can't believe he actually did so), confirming that he'll stay. Both know that Chris is not going to be back until later tomorrow.

Its more than a hunch, less than a fact, and equal to an estimate.

The older man attempts to get up again to move to the couch, or possibly her brother's bed, but she stops him once again. "If you'd like... you can sleep with me," At once, she catches her mistake and corrects it, her gentle voice laden with amusement, "I mean, um, in the _other_ way."

HBK blushes, and effortlessly returns her lovely grin–he'd loved to, surprisingly–but doesn't know if it'd be alright, be appropriate.

And nearly five minutes later when she crawls under the blanket with him without having to hear an answer from him, he doesn't dare object. Yet, he finds himself distancing his body from hers.

Its nearly midnight (as he had stayed for hours afterwards the revealing of Violet's heartache), and as she settles down, she kills the power of the lamp, afflicting total darkness upon the two.

A suffocating, awkward silence descends upon them but Shawn hears her gentle, soft voice once again. His back is to her, and he can feel her breath against his neck; he shivers.

"Shawn?" She calls, sounding like a little kid afraid of a thunder storm, and picturing this, the image gives him a smile.

"Yeah?" He answers, curious to hear what she was about to ask.

It takes a few moments for her to come out with her request, but when she does, she catches him totally off-guard. "Can you hold me?"

His relatively slow mind can't seem to process this. Did he hear her correctly? Did those words just come out of her mouth? Or was he just editing her words so that they'd come out what _he_ wanted to hear?

But as if automatically, he slowly rotated his body around to face her and felt her wiggle to be closer to him. He can't put off the desire to cradle her in his arms for any longer, so he does that as well. Its a magnificent feeling, he realizes, as if he expected something less. How would that be possible? Especially with such a sweet and breath-takingly stunning girl he's fortunate enough to hold in a grip, and to share a bed with.

He makes a mental note to thank God, seriously.

Violet couldn't have been more at ease as she listened to his steady breaths, her face hidden in the surrounding wall that was his chest, feeling his stomach rise and fall in a pattern; and a lulling one at that.

She feels as if she's dreaming, even though she hasn't drifted off to sleep yet. She can't believe she's with him right now, right here in this position. Never would she have believed in a million years that she'd be in the Heartbreak Kid's hold, falling asleep to the sound of his heartbeat. Its beautifully hard to swallow.

Her eyes flutter closed, but with an abrupt impulse seconds later, she shifts her upper body higher so that she could press her lips against his. He tensed at the unexpected contact, but responded soon after. His mouth moved along with hers, falling into a cycle, one that was both addictive and reassuring. Enclose, still, and taste–he tasted raspberry, she tasted chapstick.

The pair seperated, their breathing slightly more hitched than it was before. The man's eyes were still closed, hers too, his hands resting on the small of her back.

"Violet..." Shawn breathed, adjusting to the fact that he had kissed her again, and it didn't end with him rushing away, and he has a hard time adjusting to the fact that he's laying with her. It's all so surreal.

"Did this happen too fast?" Violet whispers, and he know what she means by 'this'. She means them, because surely, by now they were–_finally_–together. He can't say he's not relieved, because he thought he'd lose her to Evan, or to the the over-bearing protectiveness of Chris. The latter, which when he thinks about it, can still happen.

Chris doesn't know that they'd been attracted to eachother (well, that remains true for him, he's not so sure about Violet) since day one. But maybe he had a feeling and maybe he will accept the idea of them when they tell him.

He shakes his head in response to her question, and although she can't see him in the shadows, she knows he disagrees.

"It didn't happen fast enough," He admits quietly and leans down to place a goodnight peck to her forehead. And within ten minutes, the new-found couple has slipped into a peaceful, warm slumber.

* * *

In the morning, Violet wakes up to the feel of the front his body pressed against her back. She must've twisted around her sleep, she figures, and turns around to face him again. She tries her hardest to do this gently, not to break him out of his sleep. He looks happy, looks beautiful. She still can't believe this has happened.

He stirs, and she instantly throws away the act of trying not to awake him. Violet kisses the corner of his mouth twice and then again at the center.

Not long after, he's kissing her back, pleased to be awoken with such tenderness, such a great sensuality.

"Good morning to you too," He grins, but before he can chuckle at her adorable eagerness, the younger Irvine tugs at the hem of his shirt, giving him a hint that she wants it off.

He obliges and lifts the material from his self, tossing it carelessly to the side. He doesn't intend to go any further, but with how she's currently grazing her fingertips on his skin, he almost re-thinks that notion.

"Vi...don't..." He cautions, because more of her touch will send him careening down the pit of recklessness, and he'll more than readily abandon all senses, but he didn't want to destroy such an amazing thing in a short amount of time.

The girl pouts and feigns disapointment. "I need you," She tells him, her green eyes staring deeply into his, knowing fully well that the desire is mutual.

"As do I you," Shawn replies solemnly, "but we can't."

"Why not?"

HBK leans down and lays a kiss upon her temple, her eyelids, her nose. "Because I want to make this last."

* * *

"Let's go swimming," Violet suggests as the result of a spontaneous impulse. It was two days before the first official day of summer, but the girl could hardly wait.

When she was young–about the ages of 4 to 12–she remembers spending every warm day of the season at the beaches located in the outskirts of her home city. She would bathe the whole day, only coming out for short periods to devour delicious sandwiches made by her loving aunt. Then, after waiting around 40 minutes (just to be safe) she'd jump right back into the water, singing a tune only she would know because she'd made it up and kept it from anybody else.

Chris told her that when she was just a baby, their mother would always predict that Violet would grow up to be some sort of mermaid. She was half-right, the younger Irvine loved to swim almost more than she did singing, but now she hardly ever got to do it anymore. And the times she did were in pools filled with chlorine, a very harsh chemical she really, really hated. It would make her skin itch and dry, and would rob her hair of its natural moisture. She had made a pact with her Canadian friends that she'd never swim in another again, which was broken in less than half a month. She couldn't help her need to splash about in bodies of water.

So when the siblings arrived in this lower than average populated city, she knew at once that there was more than one lake around somewhere. So she made up her mind and concluded that she would go, and this was the perfect timing. She had Shawn with her, and implied that this could count as their first (official) date. He looked at her with some worry before agreeing.

"Okay then... but I've got to go get my swim shorts."

Violet grinned, this day was going to be wonderful.

-x-

It proves to be so. The two are relaxing beside the sunlight reflecting body of fresh, pure water. The sight is spectacular, and being surrounded by something other than the likes of tall buildings and heavy traffic is amazing and satisfying as well.

Violet's wearing a modest–but still sexy and skin-revealing–two piece, turqoise hued, bathing suit. It shows off her assets well, Shawn notices with a glance, but at the same time it labels her as innocent as well as beautiful.

He holds himself back from rushing into touching her. After all, its only been, what, 13 and a half hours since they've gotten together? This fact is both gratifying and nerve wracking at once. What if he did something to wreck their developing relationship? He couldn't imagine what, but it would be dire. So he sanctions himself to tiny portions of rules and regulations. All of which related to that of his girlfriend.

Could he even call her that? Were they evening dating? Its all so startling and hard to process.

"Its gorgeous out," Violet commented as she set her towel down onto the grass. She kicked off her sandals and fastly tread over to the shore, dipping her feet in. "Oh, the water is perfect."

The Heartbreak Kid watches as her body disappears beneath the sparkling surface only to re-emerge not a few seconds later. She's completely drenched, laughing outrageously at her mistake. Whilst getting up, her tied straps had come undone (the top was of a halter design), but she quickly noticed and fixed it before Shawn could see her exposed chest.

"Sorry," She giggled, and right after she apologized for the mishap, she turned, her back to him, and dove again.

How on earth did he ever manage to end up with someone as lively and young as she was?

When she resurfaced, he was still sitting lazily on the dock; swinging his feet over the edge.

"Join me!" Violet insisted, wanting nothing more than his body enclosed around hers again. He shook his head, but maintained his grin. "Maybe later."

The girl distorted her face in mock frustration. "Shawnnn!" She whined, swimming the distance to the dock and holding herself against it. He continued to refuse, prompting her to use her upper body strength (which wasn't really much) to pull herself from the water and onto the wooden deck. Her body collapsed against the heated boards, water dripping down from her limbs, her hair, her skin–which was glistening amazingly in the bright light.

Shawn lowered himself down beside her, noticing that the sun's harmful rays were blaring directly onto the two. If they weren't careful, they'd leave this place practically fried.

"We should've brought sunscreen..." He groaned at his stupidity and placed his unneeded jacket (lying inertly a few feet away from him) upon her torso to at least keep her from getting burnt in that region. Violet glanced at him, adoration in her eyes for such a simple yet romantic gesture.

"Thanks," She appreciates his thoughfulness to the extent that she can't voice it in words. He rests himself on his forearms as he hovers above her.

"Don't mention it."

He leans down and their lips meet for what feels like the thousandth time that day, both adjusting to the relatively new ability to kiss one another. The experiance is electrifying, heart-stopping. He pulls away, and she's left beaming below him.

"Do you still remember the things I told you?" She asks, referring to the period earlier in the morning in which she told him of the many beliefs and attributes that made her herself. He chuckles, bringing about a great bubble of happiness inside of Violet.

"Of course I do," He answers, holding himself up with one arm (thank God he was stronger than she was or she'd be crushed by now) while using the other to ghost his knuckles across her cheeks, her chin. It takes a lot of self-control for the sister of The Ayatollah of Rock 'N Rollah to stop herself from moaning out loud at his touch. Although she doesn't know why she's holding back, if he heard that she liked what he was doing, maybe he'd allow them to go further...

"I don't want to ruin this," She hears him mumble, but can't find the words to reply. Instead, she pulls him into her body, probably soaking him a little. The material of her bathing suit still hadn't dried completely.

"Violet..." He whimpers slightly, his obvious concern being that what she's implying will rush their beginning. She on the other hand, believes consummating their 'progress' (she almost laughs aloud for thinking such a thing) will solidify their being a couple. It was all at once confusing, tiring (from thinking about every move they made, wondering what will happen next) and risky. The last of the three not as bad as the two, given it brought thrills and whatnot to the both of them.

Her tiny hands drag across his abdomen (covered by a very thin navy blue wifebeater - when she tells him what its called, he flinches, she laughs for hours) and stops at the restraint of his shorts. She pauses, and turns her attention from what she's doing–or attempting to, anyways–to the person she's doing it to.

Her breaths suddenly become heavier, as do his and they're still, paralyzed with many ideas. Violet regrains her voice after a while, and brings her hands to the back of his neck. "Why are you so afraid of being intimate with me?"

The question is a whisper, and it draws a quiet gasp from the man. He blinks, utterly speechless for the moment.

"...You want to know?"

She nods, and he keeps gazing down at her. He's troubled, she observes.

"I guess... I guess I'm afraid that you'll take off as soon as you realize that I'm much older than you make me out to be," He says, chewing on the inner tissue of his lip, his eyes dart between her and whatever he can find to focus on. A look of confusion flickers in her green orbs for a few seconds before Shawn makes it clear on what he means exactly.

"You know... physically." HBK winces and goes to sit up, she follows his motion.

"Is that what you think?"

Its pretty obvious after he has explained it and everything, but she's inquiring it just to make sure she'd heard him right. "That I won't want you once we... you know...?" A faint shade of pink creeps up onto her cheeks but it vanishes as quickly as it had appeared. He mouths 'yes', avoiding any eye-contact whatsoever.

The woman is determined to set him straight; she grabs one of his hands and confidently persuades him to look at her.

"That's far from what I'd do," She states, now pressing her palm flush against his chest, the couple's forehead's resting on the other's. "I'd never do such a thing, believe me. Shawn, I know we're going a bit too fast, but I promise, I don't think I'd ever want anyone else besides you–emotionally, _or_ physically."

He's stunned now at her mere choice of words, of her three sentence speech, he can't find the ability to reply, but finds it's easier to respond with a kiss. So he does just that.

Its heated, passionate and everything in between, and at the very same moment the lovers are moving forward with their couplehood, Chris is asking himself where in the world would Violet be.

* * *

Ah, well, that was a fail. I think I rushed their relationship. :l


	12. Chapter Twelve: The Hardest Part

**A/N: It's... been a while. I apologize for that, but the reason for my negligence has been because I haven't been too sure on what to do next. I was in a bit of a (wrestling) writer's block for a few weeks, so once again, I'm sorry. Please let me know if you're still enjoying this story, it'd be a big help. Also, if i wrote a Christian/Chris (slash, obviously) fic, would any of you read it? **

**I just need to know these things, I'm odd like that. I also apologize for the lack of intensity in this chapter, which only happens to be a filler. Trust me, the drama is arriving next chapter and if you stick around, I think you'll enjoy that. So yeah, this is getting long. xo.**

* * *

_Pure Intentions  
_Chapter Twelve: The Hardest Part

"Where've you been?" Chris asks when Violet comes back from her day long rendezvous. And since she's not ready (neither is Shawn) to tell him the truth, she fibs that she's been at Evan's, working things out. The lie suceeds, because her clothes are no longer soaked as a result of her earlier swim.

Surprisingly, he doesn't question her further about what supposedly happened between the two ex-lovers, but merely asks if they're back together. She shakes her head no. And least thats an honest answer, she thinks, but it's not justifying enough.

With him distracted by the television, she guiltily walks to the bathroom. There, she changes from her bathing suit (that lay under a layer of casual wear) into warm, comfortable clothes. The weather had turned quite a bit chilly after her swim, unbelievably.

In front of the mirror, her wavy blonde hair frames her delicate face. She stared at her reflection and recollected the past events.

She and Shawn hadn't made love like they were about to (much to her dismay), but they had gotten awfully close to doing so. Although both they wanted to, evident with their shallow breathing, their roaming hands, they were interrupted by the constant ringing of her cell phone. With the caller being her brother of course, she wished she hadn't brought it. But she had, and when she offered to turn the device off, the man positioned atop her quickly climbed off and insisted they stop what they were doing.

Just because her sibling was worried, he assured her, not because he wanted their sensuality-filled session to end.

They dried off in the sun with continuous exchanging of kisses. And luckily before the dampening grey clouds blocked them from the warming rays, they drove back into the city. His hand comfortably on her knee, and her hand ontop of his, sometimes both venturing upwards to her lower thigh.

Through the entire ride, she knew he wanted to pull over and hold her in his arms again, press his lips against hers as if this was the last day he'd see her. She wanted the same thing, but simply had more self-control, enough for the both of them.

"Relax," she'd told him, a mischevious tone to her voice and a smirk planted on her mouth. If he weren't directing the vehicle down the car laden highway, he'd glance at her and would joke about how evil she looked. He had said it a few times before, and all Violet would say was "thank you, Mr. Obvious."

In joking manner, every time.

Now back to the present hour, with the image of herself right infront of her, she smiled. Temporarily forgetting the fact that she was hiding something relatively important from her older brother.

She noticed that there had hardly been building up to the relationship she had abruptly, and recently gotten into, but that didn't make in any less of a wonderful thing.

Since the first day she had seen him, Violet believed Shawn was a great guy, whether a friend or lover. And within the last month, she had experianced both perspectives. Through highs (like what happened today) and lows (mainly the involvement with Evan).

Footsteps from outside the room ushered her from her thoughts, snapping her back to reality, which in perspective was a bit like her fantasy. Being with a man she adored, the only drawbacks were the facts that she was in a mess with Evan, the sweetest man she'd ever come by (besides Chris) and was keeping her affair with the Heartbreak Kid a secret from the only family member she had in her life.

She scowled at the rememberance, but re-emerged into the main room moments later with a smile at her lips nonetheless.

"Had a good day?" she asks Chris, and with a grin creeping onto his unusually stoic face, he wishes he could tell her about it.

* * *

The evening passes by quickly and later that night Violet talks to Shawn on her cell phone. Because her brother is sleeping soundlessly in a bed just metres away from her, she walks out into the hallway to gain a little more distance in fear of waking him, and seats herself on the floor beside the enterance. She isn't stupid, she made sure that definitely she had one of the two keys the hotel staff had given them. It was hidden safely in the confinements of the pocket of her pajama shorts.

Now a wall is in between the kin, and hopefully Chris stays sleeping.

The new couple talks for well about an hour, until the young women yawns and is vaguely reminded that she is tired.

"Sing me to sleep," she requests silently, listening intently to her boyfriend's somewhat audible breathing. That by itself almost lulls her into unconsciousness, but his deep and scratchy chuckle a few minutes afterwards partially sobers her up.

"I thought we weren't going to be one of those 'cliched' couples," he remarks, mostly to make her laugh but it doesn't affect her at all; Violet still wants to hear him serenade her.

"Please."

He stops laughing and pauses. "But you're the real singer here," Shawn tries to reason, referring to multiple the times that he had heard her belt out her favorite songs perfectly. He can't forget those memories, they replay in his head daily.

"Please," Violet repeats, her voice considerably faint now. Exhaustion is setting in, making its way throughout her body and mind. If she doesn't end the conversation soon, she'll fall asleep slumped against the wall.

He lets out a partly agitated sigh but agrees. "Fine."

Anxiously, she waits for him to begin, and when he does, she's rendered speechless. His harmony being far more better and less country sounding than what she though it'd sound like.

_"I might have chased a couple of women around, all it ever got me was down. Then there was those who made me feel good, but never as good as I feel right now... Baby you're the only one thats ever known how; to make me wanna live like I'm living now."_

The girl was suddenly as awake as if somebody had (once again) thrown ice cold water on her. Shawn's voice was enchanting, if not breath-taking. It was enough to keep her from drifting into her dream land. And although she wanted to tell him how insanely wonderful he was, she knew that he wasn't finished.

_"The waiting is the hardest part. Every day you see one more card. You take it on faith, you take it to the heart. The waiting _was_ the hardest part."_

Now, he was done singing her her lullaby. Violet remained quiet, searching for words that explained her awe; her amazement.

"Nice choice," she finds herself blurting out instead of complimenting him, but her words ring true. The song was one of her favorites. Shawn is the one being drained of energy now. "You were astounding," she adds as well.

He smiles from the other line, as he sits up from his bed. Hunter is not back from the bar yet, and he knows that he (or Stephanie) will have to locate him and bring him back.

"Thanks, Vi," he returns, "Tom Petty is a personal favorite."

She nods in agreement, but remembers to voice it as well. "Same for me, though, I like his song _Walls_ most."

And although both want to stay where they were, to keep talking into the early hours of morning, they can't. For reasons fairly obvious.

"You should get your beauty sleep, Shawny," the younger Irvine teases, and stands up, knowing fully well that they're about to say goodbye.

He grins. "I can say the same to you."

They share a quiet but intimate moment of 'gonna miss yous'. Violet hesitates before bading him goodnight for the final time.

An accidental 'I love you' was about to slip from her mouth, and she doesn't know if it was because she had grown accustomed to saying it to Evan, or if it were true. It couldn't be, she realized after she caught herself, it takes a lot more time to actually love a person who's not blood-related.

But, like every other thing she's been distraught over, she isn't sure of what she's trying to convince herself of, so she brushes the arguable subject away. Just as she crawls into her awaiting bed, the realization of Shawn's changing of lyrics occurs to her.

_The waiting _was_ the hardest part._

* * *

She's going to see Evan, she decides the next morning. It's both an irrational, and rational decision.

It's prioritized before seeing Shawn, only because she owes the boy an apology. Despite his intolerance towards her much older boyfriend, she still cares for him, and finds herself flinching everytime Chris mentions the high flyer's name. She knows that the same has happened to said man everytime her (or Mr Wrestlemania)'s name has been spoken. It was unavoidable, for every hurt lover in the world.

Violet leaves a note for her sleeping sibling. Scribbled messily on the yellow post-it are the words:

I'm off to seek more closure with Evan. Please, don't worry about me.

Love, Vi.

So with her heart considerably heavier than before, she walks out and heads to room 405.

* * *

_I can do this_, Violet tells herself with a deep breath, _I _must_ do this_. Just to face the man's door has taken a lot of bravery. A lot for her to have ventured _this_ far into his territory. The possibility of having a door slammed in her face isn't appealing, but the guilt of being such a bad person to someone who clearly didn't deserve it wasn't at all more desirable.

So she risks having the former happen.

Her knuckles tap the wooden surface softly, but loud enough to be heard. A muffled trudging of feet comes from within the room, and within seconds, the girl was face to face with her ex.

"Hi," she greeted dumbly, not sure of how he'll react, but judging by the disapproving frown on Evan's face, he isn't exactly pleased at seeing her.

"What do you want?" he asks bitterly, and she admits she had that coming.

"Evan-"

His anger is clear, his eyes are of a darker shade - or is this lighting making him look almost _mean_er?

"Just tell me what you want," he snaps, his intentions to drive her away so that she wouldn't agitate him more. Violet wasn't having any of it, though.

"I want to talk to you," she says, and shifts her weight so that her other foot is supporting it. Evan's expression changes from annoyance to exasperation. Why couldn't she just let him be hating and spiteful alone?

They soak in akward and terrifying silence before he answers.

"Okay than," he waves his hand in mid-air, motioning for her to begin, "_talk to me_."

She ignores the distaste of his gesture, and gets on with her apology. Although it might be a little harder than she expected seeing as he's making it really hard to be remorseful.

"I'm sorry, I know it probably doesn't make you feel any better, but I'll tell you as much as possible how much I mean it." Violet manages to choke out, trying not to let herself be taken over by her over sensitive range of emotions. "I'm not asking for forgiveness, because I surely do not deserve it." She shakes her head at herself but resumes. "You, on the otherhand, didn't deserve to have your heart broken by a girl who doesn't even take the time to appreciate how caring you are." After indicating her sympathetic self, she pointed to him but lowered her hand shortly after.

"You're a wonderful guy, Evan. Any person can see that. I was just blinded by another, and I realize now that I've wasted your time, I guess I'm sorry for that, too."

More of the awful quiet that she hated so much. He seemed to be considering her words.

With that, Violet made a move to leave, but with a sudden arm against her back, the young man pressed her body against his in a unexpected hug. She, with a grateful smile, rested her head on his shoulder.

Out of all the possibilities that she could've imagined, the Canadian didn't even think of this one taking place right now.

"Are you with _him_?" Evan asked precariously, and felt her tense at his inquiry. But with a nod that could be felt against his shoulder, she confirmed it. He didn't give her time to say anything more before asking another. "Does he treat you right?"

They slowly pull away from eachother's grip, and he's left gazing at her in all seriousness.

"Of course. We wouldn't be... together if he didn't."

Evan nods, accepts this little bit of information. He looks down at his feet for a moment before glancing back up at the anxious girl who asks, in turn: "So where does this leave us?"

Violet meets his eyes with her own, and realizes why she had fallen for him in the first place. But, that gleam of innocence isn't quite enough to overpower Shawn's glint of endless reassurance. At least, she thinks so.

"Friends?" He offers, and finds himself back in the woman's arms. The oncoming well of tears flooding to Violet's green eyes is a sign that she'd like nothing more, nothing less.

* * *

Review, please? :)


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Shattered

**A/N: Wow... it's been too long. I apologize. For that, and for my suckiness. I fail at intensity, and momentum. And description. But at least I prevail in something. Namely sucking. xD**

* * *

_Pure Intentions  
_Chapter Thirteen: Shattered

The trouble with their new arrangement, was that he always wanted to be touching her. Even if it were a simple hand on her arm, or her knees knocking against his own, it would satisfy his constant need of skin to skin contact. And now, it was more of a blessing than a burden, really. Considering neither wanted to be doing anything else.

Violet collapsed onto the bed, laughing hysterically as Shawn's fingers repeatedly ran across her knees. It tickled, to say the least, because it was the most sensitive region on her whole body. Unlike other people, whose most ticklish area would be their stomach. She found it odd that her knees were so weak, but also funny nonetheless. He continued to ravish her with his attack, grinning as his ministrations brought her down onto the mattress. He fell with her, not stopping at all.

"Shawn, stop!" she giggled, breathless because she had spent the past fifteen minutes trying to defend herself. They had just returned from a nice, cozy date. One that involved a low-key dinner date at a very overlooked restaurant. It wasn't as fancy as others tended to be, but it was quite enjoyable. She had a wonderful time, and she knew he did as well.

But once they got to the suite, immediately he had chased her around the room as a result of her accidently spilling her drink on his plain white dress shirt. It happened to be one of his favorites, but he hadn't minded much. He was just teasing. Meanwhile, the young woman apologized profusely, slightly embarrassed, but he brushed it away, and now was retaliating.

He let out a chuckle, and shook his head no. "You ruined my shirt!" He reminded her, jokingly. His hands ran up her legs, and stilled when they came to her thighs.

Her body wiggled beneath his. His hands quickly moved up to pin her arms to the bed. She gasped from laughing too hard.

"I said I was sorry!"

The older man smiled, and gazed at the squirming figure of the girl underneath him. "You are too energetic for your own good," he commented, referring to her inability to give up, and her ability to keep moving, even if she was tired. She stopped trying to escape his grasp at once.

"Oh shut up." Her tone was meant to be serious, but her straight face failed horribly. She could never tell him to be quiet, when all she ever wanted to hear was his voice. He kept looking down on her, his baby blue eyes fixed on her olive green.

"I thought you loved me," he pouted, and pretended to be hurt. She attempted to say something witty back, but couldn't find her voice. There was that word again. What could she say?

Instead of replying with words, she forced her upper body from the mattress, which was very hard to do, considering her arms were being held down, and pressed her lips against his.

Violet could feel herself diving into a warm pool of longing. She ached to touch him, especially now since she couldn't, but settled with just kissing him.

The couple had been dating for an estimated five days, and she believed she would never get tired of the feel of his mouth on hers. She sighed in contentedness, and allowed herself to be taken over as her body lowered onto the bed again.

They remained embraced for a few more minutes until he pulled away. His breathing considerably slower than it had been before, with the same for hers as well.

"Maybe I do," she breathed, with an inevitable smile tugging at her lips. He beamed, and leaned down again to peck her lovingly.

"Oh, trust me," he said, his oh-so rough voice sending shivers down her spine as it always seemed to do, "you most certainly do. Because, as it happens, I love you, too."

Again, she wasn't capable of speaking, let alone gathering oxygen for her lungs. So she just kissed him again, with her arms being released and free to roam the contours of his back like she wanted to do when her limbs were restrained.

Shawn makes a muffled noise as he's suddenly pushed from atop her and onto his back. "Mmph."

Violet sniggers and climbs on top of him, placing each of her legs on either side of his hips. He mumbles something incoherent. The younger Irvine knows why.

"Oops," she giggles as he glares at her, "I'm sorry." She isn't, he thinks.

The Heartbreak Kid glances up at her as she happily remains settled on his lower body. He doesn't object, although what he feels should be saved for another day.

"Violet," he warns, because Hunter could walk in any minute. This was, after all, a shared room between the two Degenerates, so to speak.

The Canadian didn't take his words seriously, she stayed put. Sliding her hands along his chest, rubbing him soothingly and teasingly, she turns her attention the the clock sitting on the nightstand. "I should go," she says, because it's 9 pm, and Chris is probably getting (more) suspicious. He agrees, but given the state he's in, he wants her to stay.

She swings off of him, and gets to her feet, pulling her skirt back down, seeing as it had ridden up her waist. He watches her do this, a feeling of affection surging through his chest.

"I can walk with you to the elevator," he offers, but the stubborn girl shakes her head no.

"I can manage," she says simply and marches to the door. Mr. Wrestlemania pouts childishly. "You're leaving without a goodbye kiss?"

Violet rolls her eyes, for the sake of teasing him and makes her way back to him. "I guess not."

* * *

It was fifteen after ten when the sister of Y2J crept into the room. Or tried to at least. Her poor attempts at being stealthy were demolished when she almost fell into the closet. Laughing lightly, she gets out from the enclosed space and walks into the main room.

What she sees first is Chris, scowling heavily from his seat on the small, canary yellow couch.

"Hey," she says slowly, slightly alarmed because he looks angry. More angry than she's ever seen him before. His arms are crossed, his gaze is locked on her, and the shade of his skin is a faded pink. She shakily puts her purse down.

"Chris...?"

"I talked to Evan today." He grunts bluntly. This catches her off-guard, but she keeps her cool. Even though a feeling of dread is making its way through up her throat.

"I-"

"He says you weren't there today. Or yesterday. He says you weren't there during the days you said you were."

Oh no. She's been figured out. Violet almost panics at the realization, and she's instantly struggling to conjure up a temporary explanation. One that didn't interfere with her previous lies, and one that gave her and Shawn more time.

"Chris, I-"

"I know you've been lying to me, Violet. Not any more, I won't have it. Tell me the truth."

His voice was sharp, and stern; his eyes and posture practically demanding that she complied. He was really upset that she'd actually lied to him, that much was clear. Just the sight of him scared her, had her frozen in place.

Of course, she'd seen that infamous cold, icy stare directed at his fellow wrestlers before, but never had it towards her. Now that she was experiancing it - provoking it - she began to notice how frightening he looked when he was angry.

"Where were you, really?"

In the most important time of all, her mouth decides to seperate itself from her brain. Before Violet knows it, she's blurting out the truth. "With Shawn."

Y2J's fury faltered, but rapidly turned into rage; he nearly exploded. "What?" He bolted to his feet. His younger sister cringed in fear as he stalked towards her.

"Chris! I-I..." she trailed off, her sudden stuttering depriving her of all capability to say anything besides his name. She felt a thousand emotions coarse through her at once, the only two recognizable being guilt and fright.

"Why the _hell_ are you always around him?"

"I-"

For the third time, he interrupts her with another furious exclaimation of his. By now his face is a deepening red, and his nostrils are flaring. "Seriously, Violet, tell me why you'd ever consider-"

This time, she cuts him off, almost errupting in the process.

"It's because we're seeing eachother, okay?" She yelled back, clenching her fists as she finally admitted to a secret she had been keeping for only a few days. It felt like a few years to the girl. She didn't do well with hiding things, and her affair with Shawn was obviously no exception.

Chris' jaw dropped, as he took in a wordless moment to register this. And when he did, he immediately grew angrier, if that were possible.

"When the hell did this happen?" He asked incredulously, in major disbelief. Violet inhaled and exhaled deeply.

"About a week ago," she answered dryly, and watched as his eyes widened even more. Chris reached a hand behind his head and tugged his hair in frustration. He let out a small groan.

"I don't see why my dating him is so horrible!"

"He's older!"

"So? I don't mind it, he doesn't mind it. We actually-"

"Oh, lord, Violet," he seethed, "this is going to stop! You're not going to see him anymore!"

It was Violet's turn to look appalled.

He might be her brother, but it wasn't his right to dictate her love life. She shook her head violently in refusal. "You can't tell me who I can or cannot date!"

It was simply the truth, but he ignored it. And instead of arguing further, he stomped towards the door and pulled it open abruptly.

"Fine, if you can't understand and appreciate the fact that I care so much for you, and all this is because I'm trying to look out for you, then maybe I shouldn't anymore. In fact, I'll leave you alone. Leave you with your _boyfriend_, who's surely only going to hurt you. Choosing him over your brother... I'm glad to know that your priorities are in place!"

The door slammed behind the overly furious man, the after shock practically shaking the whole floor. The only thing audible after that, was the quiet sobs in which came from a very disheartened Violet.

-x-

"Hello?" Shawn answers, laughing on the other line. When he hears the trembling of her voice, though, it sobers him up pretty quickly. "Shawn."

"Vi...? Is something wrong? Are you okay?" His thoughts race to Chris. It's a dramatic idea thats brewing in his mind. The two were family; certainly, he would never...

"Chris," she chokes out, snapping him from his hypothesis, and he can hardly hear her after that, "It's Chris."

"What about him? ...Did he do anything to you? I swear to God-"

She interjects his sentence before he can finish, knowing fully well what he was implying. "No, he hasn't done anything. It's just... It's just that he knows about us now."

The older man's eyebrows raise in surprise, but he offers nothing but silence, and allows her to explain. "When I got back, he started asking questions... he'd talked to Evan... and-and we got into a fight..."

The rest was fairly obvious. He nodded in understanding. "It's okay, love. Where is he now?"

"I don't know." Violet sniffled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "He left about forty minutes ago."

"Why didn't you call me sooner?"

"I didn't want you to feel as if I can't function without you or something," she shakes her head at herself for being so naive, "I didn't want you to worry."

The Heartbreak Kid picks himself up from the bed. Hunter, who was beside him, eyed him peculiarily. "Vi, you know I could never think of you like that. I'm aware that you're perfectly capable of managing your life without me." He paused.

"I love you," he added cautiously, not wanting to spook her, but at the same time wanting to soothe her.

She smiled gratefully. "I love you too," she returned easily, but the concern of her brother's well being caught her attention yet again. "What do you think I should do?"

He was already getting on his jacket when he replied. "Wait for me to come over."


	14. Chapter Fourteen: Revelations

**A/N: Oh, wow guys... it's been an awfully long time. I can not apologize enough. If anybody's still reading this, I'm sorry. The only legit exucse I have now is school, but before it started again, I was literally out of ideas for this story. I lacked inspiration, motivation and all else. Hope you forgive me. xo. **

* * *

_Pure Intentions  
_Chapter Fourteen: Revelations

Once Shawn arrived, Violet was already half-way out the door.

She had stopped crying, that much was clear, but the remnants of her tears were still visible. She didn't give a care at all, which meant she was soley focused on finding Chris and sorting things out. Although the former would be hard to accomplish, seeing as he had left without any word of where he was headed and would not pick up his cell phone.

She had to rely on her guesses as to where he would be. The first places she'd think to check were the bars. There was about a million in this city, but she'd be able to locate her brother. Even if it took all night, and the following day...she was determined.

"Violet," Shawn said as he caught her before she could leave, and she began to wiggle restlessly in his arms. "Let me go, I need to find Chris before he does something reckless!"

He tossed aside her logic and didn't move a muscle. "One: leaving you alone does count as doing something reckless, and two: he could be anywhere!"

"Which is why I have to find him!" Stubbornly, she still tried to break free from his grasp.

"Vi, listen to me," he directed, and reluctantly she stopped squirming in his grip, "we'll find him, okay? And we'll make sure he's alright." This assurance was greatly needed, and it calmed the younger Irvine down a bit. She chewed her bottom lip as she met his gaze.

"_We?_ You're going to help?"

He nodded. "Of course. I wouldn't be here if I weren't."

The conflicted girl slowly gave her boyfriend a cautious, affectionate kiss. It only lasted seconds before she pulled away, smiling softly in gratitude. "...I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Oh, I'm sure you'd manage," the man said, giving her a sly wink as they seperated.

The blonde woman giggled, and for a moment she forgot all about her predicament. HBK grinned, glad to see that she was no longer as upset as she was before; and even more happy to see such a familiar countenance grace her usually bright, lively features.

"You seemed to be doing just fine before you met me," he added, prompting her to gaze at him in prominent amusement.

"Trust me, I was a real mess inside," she joked, dramatically placing her hand on the region above her heart, and sighing as if in relief. He chuckled, and was pained to have to remind her of her shortly omitted mission.

"Can I ask you something? Has he done this before?" She was sure by 'this' he meant walked out. Although she knew the answer, Violet paused, and remained silent a while before admitting quietly. "No, he's never - we've never fought like this before, actually."

Her hands were fidgeting, he noticed. She seemed to be stressed. Really stressed. If only he could relieve her of her anxiety. It pained him to see her as wrought up as she was now.

"I'm sorry," he offered honestly, knowing despite his wishes, it wouldn't help at all. He also couldn't help think that this was mostly his fault. If he hadn't paid so much attention to her... if he had just went on with his normally bland, boring life... then maybe this would've have happened. She wouldn't be here with him, while her brother drove himself into a rage. They'd be together (as siblings should be, especially in the case of them two) and he wouldn't be between them like he was.

But yet, if he was given a chance to rewind the past month or two's events... he didn't think he'd take it...

"I don't know where to start first." Her voice broke him out of his comtemplative state, and he was brought back to the reality of the current situation. Suddenly, Shawn remembered something. His face must've gave signs of recognition because instantly Violet was questioning what he was thinking of.

"I have a fairly good idea of where Chris could be." That's all it takes for them to move.

- x -

His knowledge of Chris' possible whereabouts doesn't go unnoticed. She asks where he's taking them, but he silences her with a gentle squeeze of his hand to hers, and a whisper of 'everything will be just fine' and the air around them falls silent for the remainder of the short drive. Soon, they arrive at another hotel, one a bit lacking in style, and when they enter the lobby, he quizzically tells her to stay put as he heads to the elevator.

Of course, she asks an explanation to that as well.

"I've got to make sure he's here first, okay? I don't to be mistaken, and having brough you here on my false assumptions." With that flat response, he makes a move to leave. Violet, unsatisfied, stops him before he can take another step, though.

"At least tell me what floor you're going to so I can find you if I get tired of waiting?"

Shawn sighs in exasperation. She won't let him leave until he tells her, so he does. "Third floor."

And then he's off. Only a little while later does she decide to follow him.

- x -

He reaches room number 310, and knocks upon the door. A few muffled sounds are heard behind it, and soon it's swung open by none other than Chris himself.

"What are _you_ doing here?" he seethes, none-too-friendly; Shawn just rolls his eyes.

"We both know perfectly well why I'm here-" HBK's interjected by Chris' refusal to let him finish.

"Don't give me that!" he nearly shouts, an octave away from yelling. He's already angered just by the presence of the older man, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out that the feeling is quite mutual.

Chris continues. "Why don't you just leave and go be with her! You guys wanted eachother so damn much, so just go and-"

Shawn's normally warm eyes turn cold - turn into an shade of blue so icy, that they could have easily been Chris' own.

"You're an idiot if you really believe that just because she has me," the Canadian's upper lip twitches as he hears the words out loud, "she doesn't need you."

It's true. Chris unadmittedly hates not being the one to comfort, assure, protect Violet. It's always been just the two of them. Always.

Since the earliest day he could remember, he was there for her, and she was there for him.

And although he had had his fair share of failed relationships, and unfortunate affairs, it made him feel weird to first know that she was seemingly head over heels for someone he's idolized and practically worshipped since he was a teenager. It was too abrupt, too... unexpected. He refused to believe it.

"Well, it's the opposite, Chris. She needs us, both."

But he sees the way she looks at him, and he at her. Their countenances usually resemble something more than adoration. Maybe something along the lines of love, but he can't be sure. It's stupid for him to be thinking like this, but he can't help it.

"...she didn't make a choice because there isn't one, despite what you think. If you just accepted the fact that maybe Violet and I care for eachother, then maybe we wouldn't have this problem."

He's basically having a revelation right at this very moment, standing in the hallway in front someone he had loathed so much in the past few hours. That revelation being that the closest thing he's ever felt to (romance-wise) love was when he was with- Speak of the devil, here he came now. Behind him, he could feel the warmth of his body radiating behind his own. Jason pressed up against his back, wrapping his arms around his lover's waist, unaware that they had company. He grinned, and pressed a kiss to Chris' cheek. One that automatically told anyone watching that they were involved as more than just friends.

Shawn's eyebrows rose and he let out something that could hardly be counted as a cough. Jay finally realized that somebody else was with them and immediately let go of a blushing Y2J, releasing a very quiet and surprised "oh" as he did so.

It was awkward, to say the least.

"What the hell?"

Neither of them had spoken. It had been Violet.

She had been watching the whole exchange from the end of the hallway, a wall hiding her from sight. Shawn groaned to himself, and neither Chris nor Jay could think of anything to say. The latter then retreated into the room, after excusing himself under his breath.

Violet glared at her brother, furiously. "What the hell's been going on?"

He attempted something not relatively close to a smile, and said feebly, "I was going to tell you sooner or later..."

An audible smack could be heard but it went ignored; The Heartbreak Kid had slapped his palm onto his conflicted face.

"How long?" She means the time in which he and Jay had been "together". He looks down at his feet, as if the unsual pattern in the carpet beneath them was the most interesting thing in the world.

Sheepishly, he mumbles "a few months." And with a slight scoff of disbelief, she's whirling around on her heel. With Chris, this time instead of Shawn, trailing behind her.


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Breathe Again

**A/N: First of all, thanks to all who still are reading. It means a lot to me that you actually like this, and secondly, a huge thank you to **xHalosandwings **for being such an amazing, and not to mention, faithful reviewer! Your reviews make my day! :) Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter! I think this might be ending soon. I'm not too sure yet. xo.**

* * *

_Pure Intentions  
_Chapter Fifteen: Breathe Again

"Violet!" Chris called out as he strode to catch up to her fast-set pace. She didn't turn around to face him, or answer him either. Instead she just continued on her way to the stairs, opting not to take the elevator because that would be plain awkward if he got on, and cornered her. Plus, her taking the stairs put emphasis on just how badly she wanted to get away from him.

"Violet!" he tried again, seeing the EXIT sign sitting high above the near doorway. Before she could reach it, though, he dashed infront of her and acted like a barrier to prevent her from leaving. She scowled, and was more angry than he had ever seen her before. He couldn't blame her.

"Please just listen to me," he pleaded, and flinched noticeably when she threw her arms up in the air in exasperation. For a moment he thought she was going to hit him. He couldn't say he wouldn't be surprised if she did.

_"How dare you?"_ The pitch of her voice was fairly high and sharp; he cringed with every word. Idiotically, he didn't know if she was talking about him blocking her way, or his hypocrisy. He guessed both.

"I'm so sorry, Violet, I just-"

"How dare you give me heck for something I've hidden from you for a measly few days, when you've been lying to me about something like that for _months_!"

"I-" she cut across his poor attempts at an explanation again.

"You made me feel like I betrayed you! You made me feel guilty, you made me feel ashamed of what I was so happy about! Yet here you were, fucking your _male_ bestfriend and acting like I was the one doing something wrong!"

Chris winced at how the blonde-haired, green-eyed Canadian spat out the word 'male'. He hoped that she was only saying it so viciously to spite him. If she had something against his relationship with Jay, then things weren't going to turn out so well... Not that things were in perfect condition at this exact moment.

"How could you be such a hypocrite, Chris? Really?" All he could do was remain silent. Nobody was in the hall, and it seemed like no guests were in the rooms, either. It was eerily dead quiet. He would've shivered, but the glare he was recieving from a pretty peeved Violet made him act otherwise.

"What about _'Pure Intentions'_?" He paled, remembering his words from what seemed like centuries ago. She resumed, unfazed by his sheepish expression. "What all about me being happy with whoever I want, as long as I love him, and he loves me, huh? Does that all disappear when it concerns a man you've idolized since you were a teenager-?"

"Look, Violet," Chris said briskly, his tone extremely apologetic. She was nearly out of breath from all of the frustration that she was letting out; so she had no choice but to listen. "I know I've been a huge asshole about you and Shawn, but I'm so, so sorry. I was only mad because it seemed like he was taking you away from me. I didn't want that to happen because you were the only person I was really close to in my life."

Violet uncrossed her arms, and met his gaze. His blue eyes were pools of remorse and sorrow, and she found that she couldn't look away.

"So I took it out on you two. I thought I'd be lonely, since the whole thing with Michelle, and all. But then..." he bit his lip, and his countenance softened considerably, "Jay... he... he comforted me, I guess. I ranted to him about all the drama, and tension, and madness that had been happening between us," he quickly pointed between them and continued, "and somewhere along the lines of everything that was happening... I fell for him, and I'm no doubtedly sure that he feels the same way."

Violet skeptical expression lifted; she processed each and everything he was saying. He really did seem to care for Jason.

Chris attempted a weak, one-sided smile. "I think I know how you feel now," he admitted gently before getting back to his original point. "I only didn't tell you because, I wasn't so sure you'd accept me. I thought you would be against me and Jay...two men...together..." he trailed off, staring at the vending machine a few meters behind her.

After a wordless minute passed, the younger sibling spoke up. "Was that it?" she asked, looking up to him with widened eyes. By now her rage had dissolved completely, and was instead replaced with concern. "Were you afraid that I would be homophobic and wouldn't approve of the fact that you're gay?"

He almost choked at hearing the last word, having not said it aloud to himself before, and nodded slowly. Violet's hand made his way to his shoulder, and brushed against his cheek.

"I would...never..." he studied her, observing as she offered the words with a sincerity that always reminded him of their mother...

"You're my brother, Chris. I don't care if you're gay, or not. I wouldn't judge you because of what gender you prefer. You're my brother, and nothing's ever going to change that."

Because they were both emotionally sensitive at heart (blame their genes - their dad was a huge softie), they both currently had tears rushing to their eyes.

"I'm sorry," he says again. She knows he truly means it, even more than he had before.

"I am, too." And they soon embrace, a position so familiar to them that they stay like that for a while before walking back to Jay's room.

- x -

Shawn looked up from his concentration of the carpeted hallway floor. He smiled as he seen the kin approach. She was beaming, and so was he. All was well.

Chris threw Shawn an apologetic look before coming up to him and offering his hand. "I'm sorry for all the hell I've been causing you," the older Irvine said, whilst shaking HBK's hand. "I don't know how you'll ever forgive me."

Mr. Wrestlemania's eyes locked on Violet who was watching the exchange with a rather amused grin, and smirked. "Well," he broke the handshake, "there is this one girl you could set me up with..."

Chris rolled his eyes playfully, and then turned serious. "If you hurt her... I swear I'll-"

Violet interjected before he could finish that threat. "Okay, Chrissy! He gets it! Now c'mon, I want to meet this boyfriend of yours!" Without waiting for an answer, she wandered right into Jay's room. Both Chris and Shawn laughed and followed.

- x -

"So what exactly do you see in my brother?" Violet absently asked Jay, who looked rather bemused by her whole_ investigation _so far.

Shawn chuckled. "You said you wanted to meet him, not interrogate him!" he laughed into her ear. Chris, who was seated just beside Jay, caught it and laughed as well.

She waved him away. "I just want to know!" she exclaimed innocently before turning her focus back onto Captain Charisma. He looked thoughtful for a moment before replying.

"Well... that's so easy, really. Anybody could see he's handsome," Chris blushed, "and he's funny, and he's smart. I'd say classy, too but then there was last Tuesday when he-"

Jay was interrupted by Chris, who appeared as if he didn't want that story finished. "Okay, hope that answers your question, Vi." She giggled at her brother's eagerness to change the subject. Instead of joining in on the abrupt switch of topic, she decided to tell her own little story.

"Actually there was this one time, when our mom dressed Chris up as a-"

"Violet!"

- x -

After the four had talked and conversed a little bit more, Shawn and Violet brother and Jay farewell before making their way back to her hotel room.

And when they got there, they settled into a relaxing position on the bed. Where he was laying back against the pillows, his arms resting behind his head, and she was nestled up against his body.

Suddenly, he aimed the remote at the television and switched it off. Violet glanced up at him to see what he was doing.

"Vi?"

"Mmm?"

"There's a WWE charity gala type thing happening next week when we're scheduled to be in San Antonio. ...Would you, perhaps, like to go with me?"

Nothing sounded more perfect. She nodded instantly. "Of course!"

He pecked her on the lips lovingly before they rapidly fell asleep. He was glad there was nothing more to keep them from being together.

* * *

Review? :)


	16. Chapter Sixteen: In The Air

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for the reviews for last chapter! They certainly made my day/week/month, etc., and have motivated me to keep this story going. Not a lot of chapters left, as you may have guessed, and this one happens to be just a filler. Still, I hope you enjoy reading it. xo.**

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* * *

**__

Pure Intentions  
Chapter Sixteen: In The Air

That following Monday Night RAW, Shawn and Chris had a match scheduled against one another. Violet had chosen to sit ringside, instead of backstage, to see it firsthand instead of through the monitor, surprisingly.

Of course, watching the two most important men in her life fight (all though she knew that it was not real) was most definitely worrying. There were so many things that could have happened in that match that could've severely hurt either man, but nothing of the sort occurred whatsoever.

It was a perfectly executed grapple that kept the whole audience on their toes. It was entertaining, and so incredibly in-character that the woman had almost actually believed that the two were rivals - for the time being, because she was probably never going to forget that they actually were before - and were solely focused on beating the living daylights out of eachother.

The crowd around her were shouting things like "GO HBK!" and "Jericho, you suck!", and for a brief minute Violet didn't know who to cheer for. But of course, it was always the obvious answer.

"C'mon Chris!" She yelled encouragingly, knowing fully well that Shawn wouldn't mind or take it personally, "you can win this!"

Every time a punch was thrown, she'd visibly flinch, and everytime a submission move was made, she'd hold her breath. If she had known how consuming, how simply enthralling the wrestling atmosphere could be years before, she surely would've been a fan earlier. Because if it wasn't clear at all, she was certainly one now.

She watched intently as Chris suceeded in locking Shawn into the infamous 'Walls of Jericho' and bit her lip nervously as she saw the expression of prominent pain on HBK's face. She hoped that it wasn't as real as it looked...

"You can do it, Shawn!" she heard another fan holler, and she smiled. He was a great fan favorite, that much was obvious, but she was also proud of her brother, too. He was amazingly believable as a heel, and delivered every line so well that everyone was pretty much sold by the time he finished talking. It was a skill he had developed so effortlessly, having almost always used it because the WWE absolutely loved him as the 'bad guy'. She would've loved to see his character turn face sometime, but she was proud of everything he had accomplished nonetheless.

"Go Chris!" she chanted, but as soon as she heard the thunderous noises the audience made as they echoed the booms of Shawn's 'tuning up the band', she knew it was already over. And just a few seconds later, the actual Sweet Chin Music followed, and easily defeated Chris.

He rolled out of the ring as The Heartbreak Kid posed and paraded around confidently over his win.

Violet clapped and whooped, and tried to make herself noticeable. It proved to work, and the older man's eyes finally landed on her, and he flashed one of his trademark grins that said 'mission accomplished', in a non-arrogant way. She mirrored the countenance and continued to cheer. He winked at her, and most of the girls standing near her sighed.

She was also proud of being able to call him hers.

- x -

"Congrats, guys!" Violet greeted once the two found their ways backstage. She quickly enveloped them both in a hug, with them throwing one arm around her, exhaustedly. She pulled away and pecked Chris on the cheek, and saved one full exmbrace for Shawn.

"You were phenomenal out there." Chris chuckled, gradually catching his breath.

"Thanks, Vi," he smiled whole-heartedly and plopped himself down onto the couch nearest to them. The girl turned her attention to Shawn, who still looked like he had just run a few miles.

"You okay?"

He nodded, tiredly, his loose blonde hair sweat-slicked and messy. Violet made a mental note to fix it for him once he got out of the shower he surely needed.

"Are you sure?" She didn't want him to supress his injuries, if he had any, no matter how minor they may be. Again, he confirmed that he was alright.

"No need to be worried, darling," he assured when he noticed her glancing at his right shoulder nervously (he had painfully botched a maneouver right not a moment before his victory that had ended up with him taking a post to his upper back), "it's not me you need to be fussing over."

He indicated to Chris, who was gulping down a bottle of water as if he had been in the desert for days.

She laughed. "It's _both_ of you I need to be fussing over."

That much was undeniably true.

- x -

The next few days seemed to pass more quickly than any others, and soon, Violet found that it was just a couple days until the WWE charity event gala. She was nervous, having not located anything particular she wanted to wear on that night.

"Please, taking me shopping," she begged Chris not a couple of hours since arriving in San Antonio, Texas. He rolled his eyes as he lay back in his bed.

"Mmgh," his incoherent blabble was a sign that he wouldn't even be conscious enough to drive her to where she needed to go. She sighed, and knew it was mainly her fault for not searching for a dress sooner. He had already gotten his tux.

Chris turned over in the dark room. "Phone Evan," she heard him suggest lazily, before his ragged snores chorused throughout the room once more.

She did just that. Of course, getting permission from Shawn before doing so.

- x -

"I think it's safe to say that I've never gone shopping with a women before," Evan commented whilst they drove to the nearest mall they could find. Violet observed him as he drove, and giggled. "Why not?" That had peaked her interest.

He shrugged. "Too boring, I guess."

The younger Irvine grinned. The rest of the day was going to be both torturous, and fun.

When they arrived, Violet immediately pulled them into a store in which the clothes were of designer quality, but were as equally low-priced. She fell in love with each and every dress she saw instantly.

"I've _got_ to try these on!" she exclaimed as she eyed a rack of materials she liked. Evan rolled his eyes but was amused by her enthusiasm.

"Go ahead, we have all day," he said while accompanying her to the changing rooms.

- x -

He waited outside of the stall for her, tapping his knuckle against the wall next to the full-length mirror. It had been approximately three and a half hours since they had first arrived, and Violet had tried on (and placed back) about roughly 20 and some variety-styled ensembles. This was the last of her choice, and he had a pretty good feeling that she was going to like this one alot more than the others.

"You done?" he asked, not being able to stand the waiting any longer. Without answering vocally, the changing room door swung open and out stepped Violet, clad in something so ridiculously form-fitting that his eyes nearly bugged out of his head.

"Wow.." was all the high-flyer could manage even after _trying_ to form a proper compliment.

The Canadian woman took that as a sign to buy the dress without hesitation.


	17. Chapter Seventeen: Summer Rain

**A/N: Yay for long hiatuses and random, cheesy endings. Enjoy.**

_Pure Intentions  
_Chapter Seventeen: Summer Rain

Had they been just another couple in the midst of a maturing romance, Shawn and Violet would've introduced one another into their own respective households a long time ago. But they weren't and they hadn't, simply because they were traveling non-stop and it was hardly anything to be discussed and/or planned. She had never been to the house he had once shared for several years with his ex-wife and kids and he had never seen (nor was he going to see) the small and inconsiderable apartment that she had rented for the most part of her days in university and was teased endlessly for by Chris. It was also the one she also had dreamed of living in with Matthew all before they had become engaged, but she digressed.

They had arrived in San Antonio a mere few hours ago and she was certain they were spending the night at Shawn's. He needn't have asked, but he did anyway; he was never one to jump the gun.  
"Of course," she had said once they had landed, and with the anxious look on his face she knew he had been a bit nervous to ask her.

"You didn't have to ask, you know what my answer would be – is," she had told him reassuringly.  
The man still looked a little uneasy. "M'sorry," was all he had managed in response, his voice sheepish and his face even more so. Violet just wrapped an arm around his waist in a half-hug. "Something wrong?" she knew there was, she just didn't want him to know that.

He shook his head as they walked to luggage claim, partially dizzy as a result of all the air travelling he had done in his lifetime. "I'm fine." The conversation ended there, but not before she had kissed the lower line of his jaw and told him she loved him.

"I know," he had said simply, spotting their suitcases and pulling from her grip to grab them. He returned and smiled in relief, albeit a bit transparently, to have been spared from a flight delay, unlike Chris and a countless amount of his fellow colleagues. "I love you too."

Violet looked up at him as they made their way to the doors. "I know," she said, smirking. "I know."

-x-

On the drive from the airport, Violet was surprised when her phone rang unexpectedly, the caller I.D not sounexpectedly reading her brother's name and number. She pressed the answer button without any further thought and held the cell to her ear. "'Hi."

"Where are you?" It figured...Chris was never one to say hello. Especially to her because he thought there was an unwritten rule of not having to greet your siblings on the phone because...well, they're your siblings. She rolled her eyes, grinning amusedly despite herself. "San Antonio, Chrissy," she replied, tapping a knuckle against the window and giggling when she heard an agitated huff.

"Don't call me that," muttered Chris, taking darkly to his tantalizing childhood nickname. "Not around anyone else, anyway..."

Violet cast a glance to Shawn, who was too lost in his own world to pay any heed to the woman sitting beside him, let alone what she was doing or who she was talking to. Something was the matter she thought with a frown, he had only begun acting so unlike himself last night. She had yet to find the answer, but was more than determined to...  
"Hello? Earth to Violet?"

She brought her focus back to the conversation she was currently having with Chris, having zoned out momentarily. "Hm?"

"Can you do me a favour?"

She stayed silent, pretending to consider this – something she was sure would annoy him. Hearing a grunt of impatience from her brother, she snickered. "All right. What is it you need, your highness?"  
Unbeknownst to her Chris narrowed his eyes, a sign that his temper was seriously being tested. If these entire 'queen' remarks didn't stop soon...He'd heard enough from Jay, and he'd hate to be charged with murder for strangling the one person he was closest to...

"Cut it out," he commanded, biting back his initial acidity. He could hear her sober up, and before he had the chance to feel guilty he continued. "Can you check us in?"

No sound was heard for the following seconds. For a minute Chris believed his call had dropped, but was proved wrong when Violet let out a breath. "We're going to be leaving in ten minutes and by the time I get there I'll be so tired that I'll just collapse on the floor and—"

"I'm sleeping at Shawn's tonight."

Chris blinked, taken aback by what he had heard, or what he had thought he had heard. "What?"  
"I'm sleeping at Shawn's tonight," Violet repeated, and then added: "If that's OK with you..." Her tone was timid and apprehensive, he noticed as he mulled over what she was telling him. It was almost as if she was afraid he was going to yell at her and forbid her from doing such a thing.

"Chris...?"

"That's fine," he finally said, surprising both her and his own self. If she wanted to spend the night with him that was all right. He meant it. He found he had no problems with her being with Shawn whatsoever and it made him happy to know that there was absolutely no reason for him to feel otherwise. It made her even happier to know that he was being genuine and was no longer harbouring resentment towards Shawn.

Violet smiled broadly. "Really?"  
His expression matched hers. "Really." He said, feeling a tug on his shoulder and craning his neck to see that Jay was trying to tell him that they were scheduled to take off soon. "Okay," he mouthed, nodding in understanding and then getting back to his sister. "I have to go," he informed hastily, his joyous emotion faltering but only briefly. "But we're going out for dinner when I get there."

The woman's eyebrows rose. "Me and you?"

Chris chuckled. "And Jay, if you don't mind. You can bring Shawn, too, if you want."

"That sounds wonderful."

"It does, doesn't it?"

Again Chris felt a nudge, and didn't need to be warned a third time before he was bidding Violet a 'see you later'.

When he boarded his plane, the older Irvine couldn't suppress the feeling of glee that without fail overtook him, despite the accompanying nausea of being lifted high into the air in such a short amount of time. Jay watched from the seat next to him and reached for Chris' hand, startled when he noted that their fingers were already entwined. "You're happy," he used his free hand to poke at Chris' chest – the area where his heart was located. "I haven't you smile so much before."

Cerulean eyes combined with crystal blue ones. "That's 'cause you've never seen the way I look at you."

Jay scoffed playfully, swatting the slightly older man's arm and turning away from him to face the window. "Thanks for being so cheesy, jackass."

He could sense Chris smiling broadly behind his back. "You're welcome, honey muffin!"

-x-

"We need to talk," Violet announced once the extensive tour of Shawn's house came to a close, with them having started at the living room and now back in it. The radiance of the flames burning with the pit of the fireplace at the front of the room gave a loud crackle, shattering the silence that followed Violet's declaration. Shawn stared mindlessly into the orange hue before promptly snapping back into reality after a few seconds. "What?"

Violet gave a light-hearted sigh and plopped herself down on the beige leather couch seated in the center of the spacious den. She patted the cushion beside her and waved a hand for him to sit.

"C'mere," she said, and he complied, moving over to her questioningly but not offering anything but a thoughtful noise before taking the spot next to her. She looked at him in both sympathy and concern. "Are you all right?" her words were nothing but soft and experimental, but still he glanced at her as if they were razor-edged and painful.

"What do you mean?"

"You..." she thought of a good way to phrase what she had been noticing of him as of late, "you're... not acting like yourself, so I'm asking...Are you all right?"

Shawn cocked his head as if to ask for proof of what she was trying to say. Violet inched forward a bit and laid a hand on his shoulder, tracing delicate patterns on his bicep. "I mean...if I'm worrying for nothing, I'm sorry. But I can't handle you not smiling like you usually do, or being as happy as you usually are...So please tell me Shawn."

"I'm...fine." There was so much hesitancy in just those two short words, and such a vacant expression in his eyes that Violet found that even the most naive part of her could not believe him.  
Her hand slipped from his arm.

"You're lying," she stated simply, not as an accusation but as a fact. He's the most honest person she knows and why he'd try his hand at lying must have a real good reason for him to do so. She isn't as angry that he'd be so secretive with her – especially after what gone on with Chris not too long ago – as much as she is disappointed. She had told him everything but did not expect him to do the same. If there were things he couldn't disclose to her, that's perfectly fine and more than understandable. But she'd hate to have to watch him act so sullenly all the time.

A huge exhalation of breath poured passed his lips; he'd decided not to attempt to go on any further in his rather pitiable and useless act. "I'm leaving for Atlanta tomorrow," he revealed, not bothering to watch her face transition from apprehension into confusion.

"Atlanta? As in Atlanta, Georgia?"

He nodded forlornly.

"What?" was all Violet could manage. "Why?"

"The custody hearing."

Immediately the woman's brows furrowed. "Custody hearing?"

Again he confirmed this with a movement of his head. "Between me and..." He trailed off, his voice low, and finally met Violet's eyes. By not inquiring further, she was subconsciously and patiently waiting for him to explain the sudden situation.

"Yesterday I was told that it had been moved up from its original date."

"And that would be...?"

"The 26th of next month," he clarified. She once again paused, waiting for him to say more. He was quick to oblige, spurred on by the oncoming realization Violet was giving way to.

"It's taking place Wednesday, but I have to be there by evening tomorrow..."

Violet looked at him in miscomprehension. "So why'd you come here if you knew you had to leave?"

He combed his fingers through his hair and then tucked Violet's loose blonde strands behind the left side of her neck making it so that the right was bare and he could tenderly brush his fingertips across the skin. She shivered at the feather-light contact. "I wanted to spend the night with you," he murmured, watching in fascination and awe as his touch caused goose-bumps to run rampant all over the exposed bits of her flesh. "I didn't want to just leave."

Violet held her breath as she felt him pull her closer with one hand and used the other to cup and caress the underside of her jaw. "So..." she said, closing her eyes under his intense gaze and taking everything in, "the gala?"

She felt him stiffen and the repetitive stroking of her cheek stop. She fluttered her lids open to see him looking down at her sadly. "I won't be there," he whispered. "I'm sorry."

Her chest deflated a bit in disappointment, but she knew that he was only going to absent for the sake of his kids. And she wasn't going to be the one to stand in the way of his role as a father. "It's okay," she responded genuinely. "I'd rather have you miss it than you...lose your..." she didn't know how to not sound annoyingly informative, "...case."

He smiled and she lit up instantly, having missed seeing him so lively, even if it had only been for a day or two.

"I'm so glad you understand. I swear I'll make it up to you—"

Violet giggled. "Honestly, Shawn. Your children are far more important than being my date to some social fling that, if it weren't for that fact that it gives me an excuse to dress up fancy, I could care less about." She bit her lip and then gradually broke out into a grin. "As for 'making it up' to me, I'm sure we could arrange... _something_."

"Oh really?" Shawn chuckled at her suggestiveness. "I guess we could..." He leaned into her, well within the proximity for a kiss, but before their lips had the chance to meet, Violet's cell phone vibrated from the confinements of her jeans pocket and made her jump, Shawn starting as well and then breaking out into laughter because of it.

Violet shushed him humorously before answering. "Hello?"

"I've just landed and I'm starving." Again Chris got straight to the point. "Let's find somewhere to eat."

The younger Irvine rolled her eyes and shook her head, smiling. Shawn knew immediately who she was talking to. "I got an idea. How about you go driving around, search for a good restaurant and then call me when you're done?"

Chris scoffed, pretending that he was offended at having to do all the 'work'. "I just got off a flight, cut me some slack!"

"Never!"

The two tossed meaningless insults back and forth, before Chris finally 'gave in' and promised he'd start scouring the city for the best eatery. But before either of them hung up, Chris asked if Shawn was coming. Violet, in turn, blocked the speaker with one hand and asked the same question but this time towards the man himself.

"Would it be all right?"

"Of course!" She hit him lightly for thinking otherwise.

He thought about it for a short amount of time before smiling and accepting the warm invite. Violet gave him a peck on the lips in response and grinned when an audible "ew!" emanated from the other side of the line. "Get a room!" she heard a few seconds later.

Both she and Shawn smirked at this. "We're in one," she said slyly. "His bedroom, to be more specific..Right, Shawn?"

The older man, going along with the ruse, suppressed a laugh. "Oh yeah," he agreed, "on my bed..."

Violet just about died from hearing Chris' reaction: a squeak and then a low growl. She then made exaggerated kissing noises and laboured her breathing a bit. She even went as far as to whine Shawn's name (who was now burying his head in one of the pillows that adorned the couch in order to keep from laughing uncontrollably) and acted as if she just only realized Chris was still on the phone.

"Chrissy? Do you want me to put you on speaker phone?"

The line went dead right after.

-x-

Later, when the two couples met up at the casual and considerably medium-class restaurant the hotel staff had recommended, Chris was predictably griping about how 'traumatized' Violet and Shawn had left him after their phone conversation.

"I didn't need to hear that!" he whined, clearly grossed out by the implications of what they had been doing, "You're my sister, for God sakes!" And all Violet had done in response was laugh and insist that nothing had happened and only pretended like it so as to freak him out. "Well, it worked!" he huffed childishly. "Mission accomplished! But I still don't believe you!"

Shawn just flashed his trademark lopsided smirk and shrugged, also throwing Chris a sly wink and laughing when 'Y2J' froze up as a result.

Things only picked up from there.

After placing their orders and waiting for a good ten minutes, the waitress came back, though only to refill their glasses of water. After she lastly poured some into Chris' previously empty cup, he frowned and commented dryly: "This could not get any warmer."

Jay, apparently an ace at replying quickly to Chris' cynicism and most often annoying complaints, didn't miss a beat. "You could try putting it down your pants, that usually does the trick," he suggested in an exaggerated tone. Violet snorted and nearly spit out her drink and Shawn was no better off. Chris narrowed his eyes, disliking the fact that he was the center of amusement. "I'll put it down your pants, if you don't shut up," he shot back.

His boyfriend merely cocked an eyebrow in challenge. "You're talking 'bout the water, right?"

Chris rolled his eyes. "Duh."

"That's too bad," Jay lowered his voice to close whisper and leaned forward into Chris, "I was hoping you had meant your hand."

In reply, Jay had received nothing but a very dark glare and obvious hint of pained arousal. He couldn't help but pity Chris as he went on teasing him.

Needless to say, the evening wasn't living up to Violet's original expectations, but _this, _whatever it was considered, was much better.

-x-

During the way back to Shawn's house, the two were unusually quiet. The only sound heard between them besides the steady revving of the vehicle was their soft breathing. Violet was practically curled up in the passenger seat and Shawn was lazed back comfortably as he drove. Soon, after several minutes had passed, both of them became aware of their not saying anything.

"I had a good time," Shawn started as Violet did as well. They glimpsed at one another and laughed, Shawn then refocused on the road ahead of them that was now being tarnished with heavy-falling rain and switched on the windshield wipers. He couldn't help but sigh in moderate displeasure.

"A rutty end to a wonderful day," he commented.

The girl beside him traced a fingertip alongside a raindrop that was slowly sliding down the glass of the window. "I think it's a beautiful end."

He hummed in thought, not quite surprised, and didn't say anything again until he brought up the topic that was weighing down his mind. "Vi?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you sure you're, uh...Ok?"

She observed him as he threaded one hand through his hair, the other one remaining firmly on the steering wheel and at first didn't know what he was asking. But then she remembered.

"I'm fine, Shawn," she states truthfully, shaking her head at him in mild reprimand, "It's just a dance. There'll be plenty more in the future, I'm sure. Your children however..." She gestured to the two small pictures of his daughter and son that are hanging from the rear-view mirror. "Are irreplaceable, and not to mention the most important part of your life. You're their dad, you're a family, and you deserve – no, need – to be together. I'll be damned if your ex-wife...or I, for that matter, keep you from being together."

Just then he pulled into the long winding dirt road that is his driveway and abruptly parked the car farther distance from the house than either would like. But at the moment, that doesn't matter right now because he was being overwhelmed with so much affection and adoration that he was going to go insane if he didn't express it in some way. And so he does.

With a doting kiss that progressively turns more passionate with each passing moment, they separate briefly, only to exit the car and then rejoin under the falling rain. Violet's left hand is in the back of his jeans' pocket and his right arm is around her waist. They're getting soaked pretty fast, but that fact just unites them more.

"You were right," Shawn says when they're only a few metres away from his porch, pausing on the front lawn and glancing up to the consistently gray sky. He then looks down at Violet, his blue eyes greeting her olive. "It is beautiful."

She doesn't think he means the weather now, seeing as he's gazing at their now interlocked hands. She smiles inside and out and agrees wholeheartedly. "It is."


	18. Chapter Eighteen: My Darkest Hour

**A/N: **Basically a filler chapter guys, sorry if I disappoint. I just need to establish some things, hence why I'm probably making it seem like the longest day/night in history. My apologies! It's only building up to more drama, and isn't that a good thing? I had so much inspiration for this chapter, though, it's insane. I also have to say that when this story ends (unfortunately soon), if I were to leave it an open ending, would any of you want a sequel? I doubt so, but the thought's been in my head for some time now. Anyway, thank you all for reading, and for your reviews/favourites/alerts, etc.! It's highly appreciated! Because of your feedback, I feel all the more determined to continue writing and not give up. xo.

_Pure Intentions  
_Chapter Eighteen: My Darkest Hour

When Chris and Jay got back to the hotel room that night, it was clear that something was bothering the older man. During the car ride back he had remained quiet which, though a normal occurrence, was more detectable than usual. Even his lack of habits had given him away too. Chris always – even without playing music – drummed idly on the side of the door's handle or the steering wheel, depending on where he was sitting. It was something he did subconsciously and something Jay had gotten used to after hearing it for so long. Without the rhythm of knuckles against a surface to fill the unintended silence, the atmosphere in the vehicle had been deafening and anomalous.  
Jay knew unquestionably that there was something on Chris' mind. Otherwise he would've been at least fulfilling the aforementioned inclination or at least humming along to the radio (which had remained off; Jay hadn't been certain if Chris would mind or not). So right when the two stepped into their finely decorated and moderate-sized suite, the younger of the two got down to the point.

"What's up Chris?" he asked evenly as they both kicked off their shoes by the doorway's closet.

Said man looked at him for the first time since getting on the elevator and blinked, apparently having zoned out for the majority of the concluding evening. It took him only a few seconds to recognize that he had been asked a question.

"Huh?" he looked around as if he had only noticed where they were, which, given his distractedness, Jay did not put past him to have done. "What do you mean?"

They helped each other out of their jackets and while Chris flung his over the back of one of the small table located near the far right wall's chairs, Jay hung his up neatly on one of the wooden hangers left in the closet. Despite how mindlessly messy he could be, Captain Charisma could never not hang up his coats. He suspected it was a trait he'd inherited from his perfectionist of a mother.

"What I mean is you haven't exactly been yourself, Chris," Jay explained, pulling off his socks. "Since we got back from the restaurant, you've been dead quiet and not a word has come from your mouth until now. I know something's bothering you, why don't you tell me about it?"

Another indicative sign of his slight OCD was that he always needed for his socks to be folded together. Stuffing the small ball of black fabric into his suitcase, he rummaged around for and retrieved a pair of green plaid pyjama pants, as well as a plain grey cotton t-shirt he slept in almost every night. After also grabbing a clean pair of boxers, he turned to look at Chris, who was now sitting on the farther of the two beds.  
"You know I'm only worried about what might me making you so...solemn." Despite himself, Chris grinned. He threw his still denim-clad legs over the side of the bed and stared amusedly at Jay.

"Solemn?" he repeated, mockingly impressed. "Your vocabulary's improving...and I wonder what – or rather, _who_ – could be the cause of it."

"Shut up." Jay shook his head, laughing a bit. "I'm not a total air-head."

Y2J's grin only broadened, his mouth open for a witty retort, and noticing this, Jay resumed his main purpose before anything could emerge. "So are you going to tell me or what?"

"I..." He paused, most likely to map out how to say what he planned on to, but then continued. "I'm worried about Violet."

Jay stood up from kneeling aside his luggage and set his sleeping clothes down on the bed, trotting over to where his lover sat. He wasn't very surprised with Chris' answer, to be honest. He kind of had a feeling what the matter was had something to do with his younger sister. Often times Chris thought about her a lot, what with his having taken care of her most of her life and it was hard not to, especially since he had grown highly accustomed to always needing to protect her and make sure she was OK.  
The look on his face told Jay a few more details, though. This time it wasn't only insistent and natural fretting over her well-being, this time is was because there was something genuinely troubling to be concerned about. The fairly leaner man joined his fellow Canadian. Oh, yes, there was something definitely off-beat here. Chris' body language said it all: his slumped shoulders, tensed eyebrows, and antsy foot movements were very clear as to his anxiety. (Jay once, directed by his mother's relentlessness and notion that it could be useful, had taken a class on how to read body language. Though sometimes he forgot what certain gestures meant, he could recall a particular few.)

Jay put on hand on Chris' arm, his touch nothing but gentle and offering of ease. "Why?"

Chris glanced down at their connected skin and felt himself calm down a little. He exhaled relaxingly and elaborated. "She has these dreams," he began, wary of the sort of haunted tone that usually took on his voice when he said any of this to anyone. "These _nightmares_ that just terrify me to no end – not to mention her too, of course, but I'm so afraid. I'm afraid that in the middle of the night I'll wake up and she'll be...she'll have...suffocated, or something." He tried to make himself sound strong, but there is a fear resurrecting in his eyes.

Jay saw this but didn't interrupt, watching Chris attentively. "It sometimes almost comes down to that. In the middle of the night or sometimes around 2 A.M she'll either be screaming or gasping for air and it's...it's the most frightening sound I could ever imagine."

Jay's eyes widened impossibly more than they already had. His hand slid down Chris' forearm and interlocked the two's fingers. "And this happens every night?"

The man beside him shakes his head. "Not every night but sometimes...It usually happens a few times a month. Lately it's been...OK, but even though she's sleeping over at Shawn's, I'm worried it'll happen tonight. I'm always the one with her and maybe her unfamiliarity will set it off...Maybe it'll make it more horrifying than it usually is..."

"Do you know what causes these dreams?"

Chris nodded. "The fire," he said simply.

Jay understood. "She can't remember it happening?"

"She was only four. Most people don't remember anything from that age, let alone something as horrible."

The Toronto-native took this in. "Does she know?"

"Of course she knows...I just don't go into detail when it's brought up, but we hardly talk about it anyways."

"But..." Different shades of blue fused into one in an apprehensive gaze. "What if talking about it would help her get over it? Well, not completely of course, but what if it stopped her nightmares?" Jay spotted Chris' obvious hint of disapproval but resumed his theory. "I mean, I know it doesn't sound promising but what if it put her mind to rest? Perhaps just a conversation about it out in the open could cure her of these episodes—"

"Or make them worse by bringing back the full, unwanted memories?"Chris let go of his lover's hand and stood up. "I'm sorry but she's already been to a therapist—"

Jay briskly followed him up. "But you're her brother," he pointed out, "not some self-righteous, overpaid shrink."

"And how does that change things?"

"Are you kidding? It changes things a lot. It happened to _both_ of you, not just her. You should be able to talk about it and not hide from it in fear of trauma."

Chris opened his mouth to argue but Jay wouldn't have it. "Things will only get worse if you don't talk about them...just like problems do when you don't face them." He entwined their both of their hands. "Look, just try. I know it's not my place, but please just try and discuss things with Violet. I'm pretty sure that she needs to know that you're not still tormented by what happened. She needs to know that you can overcome your past in order for her to do the same thing. You've led by example all her life, right?"

The older Irvine nodded.  
"And she's followed every time?"

Again he confirmed with a nod.

"Then do it again. Let her know her big brother's gotten over the most unfortunate times of his life. Eventually she will too."

"But I haven't—"

"And that's perfectly understandable. No one would ever be able to surmount what you've been through completely."

"But I—"

"Please...just take my advice. I know you're more than capable of handling things on your own – especially when those things have to do with your own personal matters – but I'm certain that this is one of those occasions where you need to trust somebody else's opinion."

Chris stilled and didn't insert any of his plausible objections. Jay took this as a good sign that he was nearly convinced.

"Besides, if you can't do it for me, you can surely do it for her."

With encouraging and pleading eyes as a very helpful aid, Jay knew he had gotten through to Chris, who exhaled anxiously and nodded. "OK," he said, voice noticeably wavering, "OK, I will."

Jay smiled. "OK," he repeated, relieved. He then lightly grasped Chris' chin in one hand and used his thumb to massage his bottom lip affectionately. "You know this is the side of you I love most."

Chris' sombre countenance gradually became playful. "Oh yeah? And what side is that?"

"The protective, vulnerable one."

"As opposed to...?"

"The one that makes you seem like a _total_ jack-ass."

And Chris couldn't help but laugh at that as he leaned in for a kiss as a thank you for Jay's wise and helpful insight.

/

Meanwhile, Shawn and Violet were already prepared for sleep.

Lying in Shawn's incredibly comfortable bed with his arms wrapped around her, Violet decided that this was the most happy she had ever been in her life. Not only was she dating a man who actually treated her with respect as much as adoration, her brother was all right with it. He himself had found somebody of the same warm-heartedness and it was amazing to know that he was finally allowing her some room to grow. Maybe after all this time she was at last accepting her own life away from him, even if she still traveled alongside him as a result of his profession and didn't have a steady job or residence. In due time, she would eventually but for now, she was perfectly fine with where she was; especially right at that very moment.

"I can't believe you have a water bed," she giggled, both awed and amused at that fact. "You of all people."

Shawn merely laughed along with her, not taking any offense. He himself had been surprised when he had taken to it a few years ago and bought one for himself after he and his wife had first separated."It helps my back," he explained, grinning.

Violet grinned too and settled back against the pillows, looking up at him while he peered at her from on his side. "Does it really?"

He nodded, patting the mattress empathetically. "Every night in this bed is a good night for me," he said. He then leaned down a bit to place a kiss on her temple and pulled away, smiling. "You just happen to be making this one even better."

"I love you."

Shawn kissed her lips this time, moving against her slowly and soundly and only removing himself when the need for oxygen was imminent. "I love you too."

After another few doting pecks, the couple relaxed and snuggled closely into each other, letting the leisure and peacefulness of nightfall lull them. It was pure relief and sumptuousness to finally be in one place, at least for the night, that wasn't a hotel. The complementary feeling of being back home in San Antonio did not go unappreciated, either. Despite her having been here a multitude of times before, Violet had never really gotten the vibe of the city. Needless to say, she was most definitely enjoying it now.

But, frustratingly, even with the most luxurious of accommodations and most satisfying of positions and each other's company, neither could find sleep as instantly as they would've liked. As tired as both were, it felt like they were irritatingly wide awake, so to maybe kill some time before they lost consciousness, Shawn let his curiosity get the better of him. "Hey...Vi?"

"Mm?" The response was not exactly laced with the effects of sleep or intentions of it, for that matter. He smiled at how endearing he thought it was. "Can I ask you something?"

Resisting multiple sarcastic remarks, she merely turned over onto her side and smiled. "Shoot."

He hesitated before asking: "How was University?"

At that, she didn't say anything.

"I mean, you've told me so much about University itself, but never your life outside it..." he trailed off, noticing how inconsiderate he surely must've been coming off as. "But uh, if you have a good reason why you didn't, then I'm sorry for bringing it up..."

The woman beside him laughed at his fright of having possibly troubled her with her own past. "Shawn, it's OK," she assured, reaching out to stroke his shoulder. He calmed, knowing that he hadn't said anything he shouldn't have, which, he must admit, was growing to be one of his less excusable habits. "I just didn't see the necessity of telling you, you know?"

He bobbed his head in understanding.

"But since you're so cute," she teased, twirling one of his strands of hair in her fingers gently, "I will."

The wrestling veteran couldn't suppress the good-natured scoff that escaped him. "I'll have you know that I am not just cute, I am—"

"A sexy-boy? Not my boy-toy?" She giggled, smirking. "I received the memo, Mr. Wrestlemania. Sent back when your head was larger than life."

He glared playfully at her.

"It still is, in fact."

"You love my head."

"Hunter does."

Shawn blinked while she laughed hysterically, his confusion only spurring her on. "What? What does that mean?" He mulled it over, but he still didn't get it. "I don't – oh! Violet!" He scrunched his face up. "For a 'mature' woman, you have such a dirty mind!" But despite this, he was laughing too.

"I inherited it from Chris," she confessed shamelessly, beaming proud.

Once the laughter died down, she got back to the original subject. "Can I get back to my story now? Or are you going to bring yourself up and eventually leave yourself open to perverted attacks again?"

He chuckled. "I'm finished."

"Good," she sighed contentedly, "anyway, another reason why I didn't mention anything was because that was when I met Mathew."

At the mention of her ex-fiancé's name, he visibly stiffens. He's been reminded by Chris of what happened between, or rather, of what Mathew did, and hearing it again isn't going to make it any less insufferable, let alone when Violet herself is narrating the events.

"Actually..." he says, coming to terms, "I think that's why I asked."

She bit her lip a bit, nodding, and went on. "Well, when I went to University, I had a job as a waitress in a cafe off-campus. It was...decent, and I was at least making enough for groceries for the next two weeks. I didn't mind it, but the customers were kind of...sleazy. Whenever I worked there was hardly a shift where I didn't get hassled by the guys who came there, but one time there was a bunch of them. They were from out of town, riding in a recreation van, and looked like high school boys coming in for a basketball tournament or something.

"Anyway, I was serving the table they were sitting at and they would not relent with the lame attempts at flirting. A few asked for my number, insisted on asking me questions...that sort of stuff. I put up with it until – I'm not kidding – one of the older-looking guys tried to grope me—"

"Did anybody else see?" Shawn asked hurriedly, "Did you slap him?"

Violet couldn't help but melt over his protectiveness. "I didn't slap him, unfortunately, but somebody _did_ see. That somebody was—"

"Mathew," he finished flatly.

She nodded. "The one and only."

"What did he do?" he tried not to frown too much.

"He defended my honour, you could say. Out of nowhere he appeared, giving the hands-y guy a long lecture about feminism and how females in the workplace are not to be disrespected. Especially when they're serving your food." She allowed herself a small smile.

"'Not to be disrespected?'" he quoted harshly. "And what? That didn't apply to females who are about to become your wife?"

Violet gave a simple shrug. "I guess not," she said.

Shawn realized his words. "I'm sorry."

"It's OK." Another shrug. "He was different then...I think he just changed when it came to mind that he was going to be tied down to one woman."

There was no bitterness or resentment in her reminiscing at all, only traces of her having gone over it beforehand and genuinely feeling nothing emotional when it came to it. That sort of made it better for him to listen.

"I was tied down to a woman once," he offered, trying to lighten the mood, "_she_ was the one who changed." He was applauded with a pat on his bicep.

"Depressing humour...I like it."

"Thank you," he bowed from where he was now sitting up. "But back to what you were saying..."

"He basically insulted the guy's intelligence, respect for women, and his moral integrity all in one shot. When he was done, I knew."

"Knew what?" He didn't think he wanted to hear this.

"That I was going to end up dating him, one way or another. Sure enough, when my shift was over, he caught me before I could leave and told me that to thank him for earlier, that I should go on a date with him."

This made Shawn grimace. "A bit cocky, wouldn't you think?"

Violet rolled her eyes, only because he had kind of been the same way towards her too, once. "That's what I did think at first. But he seemed nice, and later I found out that he went to the same University. So I agreed."

"And you got engaged when?"

"Um...around a year and a half after our first month of seeing each other." She estimated, now lying on her back, her elbow sore from her resting her weight on it for too long.

He was reluctant to ask the next question but managed. "And...you two were in love?"

She glanced at him, lips turned up in amusement. "Yeah..." she looked back at the ceiling. "Very much."

Under the blanket, his hand located hers and intertwined their fingers, staring back at her. If he hated asking that, what falls from his mouth afterwards is one he absolutely loathes. "When did you find out he was...cheating?"

She wasn't phased, not that he could see. When she was thinking about it, she looked rather...dulled about it, he noted. He wondered if she still felt anything about the situation at all.

"Four or five months before our wedding, I think." She stated, quite plainly. He couldn't comprehend how easy it is for her, but was glad for it all the same. "Caught him with two of my bridesmaids and one of his ex-girlfriends."

Shawn's eyes widened. She saw this and laughed. "Not at once, silly!"

HBK blushed a bit. "Of course not," he mumbled, embarrassed for thinking such a thing.

"The first time was...well, I saw them close and I thought something was up. I didn't do anything about it, though. She was, back then, one of my closest friends and I didn't believe she'd do that to me. So I left it. The second time, he basically had her hand up her skirt and I still didn't act upon it. I interrogated him later, but he denied everything; he convinced me he was merely helping her 'readjust' and that I had drunk too much and I still believed him."

"Blindly in love?"

"Desperately, hopelessly, foolishly."

He gave her a sympathetic look and squeezed her hand, letting her know he was here and would never do such a thing. She rewarded him with a kiss to the cheek.

"The third time...was me walking in on him and the girl he'd dated before me. You know...actually in bed together this time."

"I'm sorry."

"Chris was livid, honestly. You thought you had seen him angry on television, well the act is tamer than the action. If I weren't so devastated, I would have been wary of the murder charges that could've followed his fury."

"I probably would've reacted the same way, you know. In Chris' position, it's hard not to be angry at a guy that cheats on his little sister. Especially with how close you two are."

The younger Irvine pressed her free hand to her heart. "Sometimes we may...disagree on things, have our little brother/sister spats, but who _doesn't_ fight with their sibling from time-to-time? I'm so glad I have him; he's practically raised me all our lives and doesn't use it for leverage against me. Instead he only wants from me my promises that I'll be there for him and that I won't ever leave."  
She fights tears from her eyes, but it's not an easy battle. "I wouldn't ever, he knows that."

Wrapping an arm underneath her form, Shawn pulled her closer towards him and Violet did the same. "I'm sorry...gone away from the point."

"It's OK," he comforted, his warmth and embrace a blessing. His soothing words even more so.

She continued on. "We were engaged for another year and a half, so by the time I ended it, I was nearly finished school."

"How long has it been since you seen him?"

"It's been nearly five years since I graduated...so about then."

"Oh." He registered this. "It's been a while."

"Uh-huh." Her voice is muffled and slightly drowsy. She must be falling asleep. He looked up at the clock sitting on the nightstand on beside the bed. Midnight. He had a flight to catch in several hours, so he decided he should get to sleep soon.

"Violet?"

"Mhm?"

So cute, he thinks. "Kiss?" he asks, hoping he isn't asking too much or preventing her from sleep. Nestled in between his arms, Violet tiredly leaned up and obliged.  
Shawn grinned. "I love you."

"I love you too."

It only takes minutes, but before Shawn can say goodnight, Violet's asleep, the steady rise and fall of her chest as an indicative sign and the starting of a snore one as well.

He has to leave in the morning, _early_ in the morning, but he's made this night with her count and nothing makes him any happier.

/


	19. Chapter Nineteen: Unsophisticated

_Pure Intentions  
_Chapter Nineteen: Unsophisticated

Before he had awoken her and gotten her up to drop her off at the hotel, Violet had remembered Shawn kissing her goodbye. She couldn't too be sure, though, because she had been half-asleep at the time (6:30 AM) and she could've still been dreaming. However, the words she had caught weren't imagined, and he indeed had stressed again that he was sorry for leaving – sorry for not telling her in proper advance – and that he loved her and would be back shortly.

After basically carrying her to his car, he had driven to the hotel, taken her to her room and deposited her back in bed (one that was not even close to being as warm or as relaxing as his). If she hadn't been so damn exhausted, she would have transported herself; after having first seen him to the airport, of course. But her body was in refusal to stay up and her mind wasn't aggressive enough to kick it in gear, so it was off back to sleep for her.

She was certain that he had also lingered in her room for a while, remembered feeling the mattress sink down near where she lay and though she couldn't keep her eyes open, she could have sworn she had somehow sensed his shadow looming over her.

"I'm so sorry," he had said, clearly still very remorseful. "But you understand."

He might have brought her hand up to place against his lips, but again, she really couldn't trust her bleary state. "I'll be back soon," his voice had sounded noticeably happier at this. "And I'll make it up to you, I promise."

He laughed then – she knew this for a fact; she could never have duplicated the sincere rasp and rumble of a sound. She figured it was because he had known that if she were up, she would have reminded him that missing out on the gala was no big deal. "Anyway," he grew serious again, "I'll miss you. And hey, who knows? If things...work out, maybe I can introduce you to the kids."

Another chuckle, followed by the accompanying silence of a grin. "They'd love you...as much as I do, I think...If not more."

She recalled him leaning forward to kiss her forehead. "I'll see you soon, Vi."

The bed lifted, deliberately soft footfalls could be heard, and then the door opened and shut. For a couple of hours more, she had dreamed of nothing but ovens, for some strange reason.

/

When she was conscious enough to recount these things, his words rang through her head repeatedly. But they were anything but weighty – they were happy and elevating...like wedding bells, if the comparison wasn't too loaded.

"..._maybe I can introduce you to the kids_."

That had stayed with her the longest. It was eye-opening, a bit. Kids...he had kids: a daughter and a son; from his wife, or ex-wife, rather.

She had thought about this often times before, contemplating how she had gotten involved with a "family man" and how she felt about it, but never allowed herself much time. It wasn't that difficult of a subject, really, it just felt...odd when she brought it back up and didn't think it'd be too good if she over thought things, which was what she was doing now, she realized.

Trying to get her mind off of Shawn's absence, she promptly got out of bed and dressed. Casually since this evening was what called for elegance, and styled her hair in a slightly messy bun. She'd have to take a shower later and make sure she didn't forget to apply conditioner this time. That occasional blunder never failed to tick her off. The only thing that annoyed her more was when Chris used her shampoo when they shared rooms, and God only knew how often that was.

Sighing, Violet sat down on foot of the newly-made bed and wondered about what she would do until time came for her to get ready. Evan would be busy, she presumed, and didn't want to bother him too much this week. Chris and Jay...she had no idea if they were even attending but went to join them for breakfast anyways, wanting the feeling of uncertainty to clear from her intuition.

/

After spending the earlier half the day with her brother and his boyfriend (who _were_ attending, but individually due to their not ready to go public) and the latter by herself, it was came as a surprise when there came a knock at her door.

Confused as to who it'd be she opened it and out in the hallway stood a woman. She was about her age, give or take a few years, and assumedly worked for the WWE – judging by the shirt she was wearing that had their logo printed clearly on it and some kind of I.D hanging from her jeans. She was taller by an inch or two and had hair of a darkish russet mixed with burgundy, her skin a light mocha and eyes golden.

Still puzzled, Violet offered an amiable smile. "Hi, may I help you?"

The girl, whose name tag read 'Ellie', returned the expression despite looking a bit hesitant. "Are you Chris Jericho's sister?" Her voice was bubbly but professional which was something Violet couldn't help but admire.

"I am."

"Violet, right?"

She nodded, still smiling. "And who might you be?"

Ellie offered her hand to shake, her nails perfectly manicured, and shook the other girl's firmly. "Ellie, as you can see, WWE's make-up artist."

It took a minute for Violet to realize what this meant and to notice the case sitting at her feet but when she did, she immediately shook her head in disbelief. "He couldn't have...did he send you here?"

The look in Ellie's soft orbs confirmed it, seemingly a bit worried by her reaction. "Is something wrong?"

The Canadian shook her head again. "No, it's just...this is too much." She made a mental note to kick Chris' ass later while also thanking him for thinking of her like this. "I'm sorry but I can't...can't accept this..."

"He kind of paid me, though." That's why she looked so uneasy. Violet didn't want her to have to give him his money back or lie to him about doing what he had asked. She thought for a bit before standing aside to let her in and shut the door behind them.

"I'm perfectly capable of doing my own hair and make-up, Ellie," she said, watching as she set up her 'equipment' on the desktop surface and smiling at the perplexed expression that quickly appeared on the make-up artist's face. "Can I ask you something?" It was straight forward, but she had been told that she was one of the people who go for what they want with hardly any inhibitions.

Still put off a bit, Ellie relaxed. "Go ahead."

"Are you going to the gala tonight?" A plot was forming in her head, but as devious as it might sound, she was pretty sure it was wonderful and would turn out well.

"I don't have a date..."

"Don't worry," the younger Irvine assured, grinning wholeheartedly. "I don't have one either." She couldn't help but giggle at the apparent surprise she was met with. She was flattered, too. "But...I think I know someone who'd love to go with you."

Even wider eyes stared at her like she was speaking a lost and untranslatable language. "Trust me."

"I—"

"How about I do _your_ hair and make-up, too."

This time she broke out into laughter because of Ellie's pure shock.

/

Two great things came out of Chris' sending Ellie to her room: in addition to having someone to help her get ready, Violet and Ellie made fast friends while they were doing each other's make-up and hair. It should've felt strange doing so because they hardly knew each other, but it didn't in the least bit, the conversations they made were animated and the atmosphere between them was comfortable.

Violet didn't look at the Maryland-native (whose full name was Elena Fletcher) as someone paid to make her look her best, but as someone she could talk to as a person, a friend. She had left so many behind in Canada and it felt so nice to share chats and laughter with someone who wasn't Chris or Shawn. They were enjoying each other's company and it was easy to let herself do so without worrying about boring anybody or exceeding a word limit.

The other bonus was that she was found a date for Evan. Not only was her new friend enviously gorgeous, but her heart and personality was catching. She was sweet, considerate, and genuine. The last time she checked Evan was those exact things and she was sure they'd mesh well romantically, if not platonically. Evan had mentioned about being too shy to go by himself and now he had someone amazing to accompany him.

By the time Ellie left to finish dressing up (after exchanging numbers and promising to talk again soon and see each other downstairs) she was feeling so delightful and airy that she wasn't entirely mourning the fact that Shawn wasn't there or that she didn't have a guy on her arm. Instead she slipped on her dress and waited excitedly for 9 P.M to arrive.

/

The gown she had chosen was considerably simple, but it kept to her figure and was delicately pretty enough to be counted as graceful. It was a sleeveless white satin dress with a sweetheart neckline and knee-length hem. There was hardly any detail on the bodice and the skirt was flowing. Her heels were plain as well – golden in colour and not very high – and the same could be said about her make-up (natural and not too heavy) and hair, though it was pinned in a side fishtail braid. She wasn't just feeling like a princess, per se; she felt as if the world beneath her wasn't just that, it was a cloud kingdom that she had somehow dreamed into existence.

When she entered the hotel's extravagant ballroom, her breath left her. The walls were covered in a soft pale-coloured stream of material and lavender strips of the same decor were placed in every corner, every feature of the room. Tables aligned the four walls and the remaining floor between them was most likely the dance floor.

Classy music poured from the sound system above and when she noticed this, she also noted the many chandeliers that adorned the ceiling and couldn't help but want to stay in one place and drink in how marvellously lovely it all was.

"Waiting for the sky to fall?"

Startled Violet turned to the joining voice beside her and smiled happily when she recognized who it belonged to. "Hi Evan!" she leaned in to hug him and felt so much more blissful when he rubbed her back ever-so familiarly.

"Vi," he hummed when they separated. "How are you?"

She glanced around again and then back at him. "Wonderful, thanks for asking, what about you?"

He cocked his head slightly, searching around her. "Where's Shawn?"

"He couldn't make it."

The high flier's brown irises hardened a bit at this though, mouth forming a lopsided line of deliberation. But before he could ask anything Violet put a hand on his shoulder, calming him. "Personal matters," she explained, indicating she was all right and that they hadn't had a falling out or anything. He nodded, and his gaze was directed to the doorway, where Ellie was now entering.

Unlike Violet's, Ellie's dress was to her calves and of a more taut fit. It was a plum shade and didn't drown out her complexion, instead making her glow and drawing focus to her voluptuous frame. Spotting the two, she gave a joyful grin and small wave, making her way to them.

"Is that her?" Evan sounded breathless. Violet's heart fluttered at the adorableness of the moment.

"Uh-huh." She couldn't help but come off as smug. She was so happy with what she had managed.

"She's beautiful."

Smirking, she watched the two greet each other and bit her lip self-satisfactorily. "Such a cute couple."

Once the attendees were gathered in the room, more and more people started getting up and dancing as the music remained light and rhythmical. For the most part Violet danced with Evan and Ellie, who were definitely hitting things off, and sometimes joined Jay since Chris was too busy idly chatting with his colleagues. However, when the music turned romantic and sentimental she punctually got off the dance floor to make more room for the couples and sat down at the table, usually checking her phone or passively keeping an eye on her brother or Ellie.

During one particular song that sounded suspiciously like Frank Sinatra, she checked her phone to find that it was vibrating and that someone was calling. Knowing full well who it was she pressed 'answer' and brought it to her ear, shifting to the back of the room to hear more clearly.

"Hey."

"Hi Vi." Just hearing him speak those two monosyllabic words made her willingly admit that she missed him more than she wanted to think about. "Having fun?"

"You bet." More than anything she missed his kissing her randomly and repeatedly. "What about you? What are you doing?"

"I'm," he exhaled, sounding bored and wistful, "thinking about you."

"I'm thinking about you too." It was kind of painful to hear him sound so sad. "I—"

"I have to go," he said abruptly, apologetically. "_She's_ on the other line."

"You can say her name, you know. It won't kill you."

"I know."

Silence. "I miss you."

"I miss you too, more than anything, you know that."

"I do."

"I'll talk to tomorrow, OK? Have fun tonight...but not too much." He chuckled.

She rolled her eyes and scoffed playfully. "Without you? Impossible."

They both smiled. "I love you Vi."

"I love you too."

The rest of the night was a blur of dancing, champagne, and bathroom breaks. Violet had danced with all of her respective partners and now she was just lonesome because of all the songs 'meant for two' that had been playing as of late. Honestly, she loved seeing other pairs of couples sway to the melody that was perfect for that kind of showcasing, but she couldn't help but wish she could join in.

Evan and Ellie were having a great time, they even kissed a couple of times, and though Chris and Jay weren't quite as happy since they couldn't display their affection like that, even they had snuck in some endearing moments.

She had had so much fun this evening but she was ready to conclude the night. So as everyone else was still caught up in the romantic mood in the ballroom, she was outside in the empty lobby, wandering aimlessly out of boredom and pure habit.

Right as she began her tenth round of following the abstract pattern of the carpet that blanketed the floor of the foyer, there was a hand on her shoulder, the touch so gentle that the person – whoever it was – hadn't scared her. Thinking that it was either Chris or Jay, she turned around, a lazy beam on her lips.

But, to her extreme astonishment, it wasn't either.

"Mathew?"


	20. Chapter Twenty: Contemplation

**A/N: **Originally, I was planning on re-writing every chapter until I was happy with them because, at the time I wrote this story, I was so oblivious to how much I suck at multi-chaps (and writing in general). But I'm kind of stuck with the plot and have no idea to how to fix it and conclude it. It's been what, almost two years? I'm so sorry. If you've kept tabs I'd like to thank you. And apologize. The characters have been so awfully-written and I've executed the conflict so poorly. I don't know whether I want to delete this fic or try and salvage it. Is there even a point to uploading this? I'm so very confused and so very remorseful. But hey, you got to start somewhere.

_Pure Intentions_

Chapter Twenty: Contemplation

She hadn't seen or spoken to Mathew in well over 5 years.

And given the fact that he had cheated on her with three different girls, including not one, but two of her bridesmaids, even before they could be married, she was okay with not seeing him again after that. Things had, unsurprisingly, ended rather badly. There were no attempted apologies or incensed confrontations – just a simple declaration that their engagement was indeed over. To her surprise, he wasn't very shocked that she had found out, unlike many other unfaithful husbands-to-be that probably wouldn't expect to be caught. Instead, he was just _disappointed_.

Why was he disappointed? She had most often figured that he had thought he'd get away with it until the actual marriage. But, he had said, tone feeble and resigned, that that wasn't it at all. He explained that he was disappointed because he failed himself...failed her, more importantly.

To this, she had scoffed. Over time she had begun to doubt his words more and more and when she reached that point, she couldn't believe she had stood to listen to them in the first place, let alone allowed them to charm her into an engagement – a _relationship_ – she had initially had a lot of faith in.

Out of blinding fury after finding everything out, Chris had called her naive during a conversation over the phone. He happened to be touring across Europe when it occurred and, for Mathew, it turned out to be a good thing that he wasn't in the same country as him. He later apologized for it, citing that he had somehow wanted to blame her, though it was really all Mathew's fault. But she agreed with him. She _was_ naive. But was there a difference between being in love and being foolish? Barely, she thinks.

Several seasons later, here he is, right before her. Like a ghost of the past lingering to an attachment of the living. If she wasn't so sure she wasn't dreaming, she'd have thought she was making up this in her head.

Unable to speak, her mind speaks for her, flooded with questions she can't answer. 'Why now?' is what she hears repeatedly. 'What is he doing here, specifically?' is the next most frequent. And coming up in third is the timid conspiracy that her talking to Shawn about him last night somehow summoned him.

'I said his name too many times,' she decides is what happened. 'Like Beetlejuice,' she then adds automatically, pausing before giggling a little. But reality steps in immediately when Mathew, taking her suddenly amused expression as a good sign, smiles a little too, like they're sharing an inside joke. "Vi," he says, eyes that always reminded her of a stormy sea bright with what appears to be honest pleasure. That, above everything else, serves as a dead-cold reminder of who he is.

She stops laughing and steps back, as if his mere presence has scalded her.

In hindsight, it kind of has.

"Mathew," she finally mutters, voice not as shaky as she thought it would be, but still noticeably strained. She can't look him in the eye. Not yet. But she's said something and it's enough.

"Hey." If he notices her actions, or is offended by them, he doesn't give any physical evidence to show it. He just remains still as she sways slightly from utter confusion and disbelief.

"I..." is all she can manage before she's shaking her head vehemently, realizing that she can't do this. It's too sudden and unexpected. Over the years they'd been broken up, she'd been building up pages and pages of words she was planning to say to him once she had the chance – if she ever got it. And now that she truly has said opportunity, she's seemingly forgotten it all.

"I have to go," is her excuse, rushed and maybe only a bit panicked. She doesn't wait for his response, but catches his face fall rapidly. She turns towards the elevators and for a minute she's afraid that he's going to grab her wrist and pull her back to him like he once had when he had lost his temper. But he doesn't. In fact, he doesn't move or say anything at all in objection to her leaving.

Unlike her decision 5 years ago, this time she does look back.

He's still there. But instead of looking at her with meaningless sorrow, his expression, for the first time, actually resembles something like genuine realization of what he's done and how sorry he might be because of that.

She presses for the doors to close and shuts her eyes as the elevator hums and gradually takes its ascent.

/

When Chris doesn't call or knock at her room door later that evening, she doesn't try to look for him. He doesn't know anything about why she decided to 'retire early' for the night and she doesn't think he needs to. She attempts to shrug it off. It wasn't a big deal that Mathew was there, and a part of her regrets her reaction. But she's never been good at dealing with the past and just because she has somewhat of a new life doesn't mean that that's abruptly changed along with it.

When she saw his eyes, she instantly thought of how they used to gaze lovingly at her. That, in turn, brought up the recollections of his lips against hers, his arms around her body, safe and warm. And with good memories come bad; for her, anyway.

Eyes soon turned distant, like every time he looked at her, he looked _through_ her. Lips soon turned poisoned with lies. _I'm going to be late for dinner, Vi. Work is demanding, you know. You understand, right? That's why I love you, babe. _And his embrace...she didn't want to think of it...of how after he held her, he probably held some other woman like it meant nothing.

It all reminded her of how she wasn't enough for him, and that being one of her greatest insecurities, it suffocated her.

The odd thing is, being in an elevator alone, wasn't as fearful as being in a crowded room with _him_.

If she currently wasn't in a chokehold with unavoidable reminders of her history, she would've laughed at the paradox.

When Shawn calls at midnight, she ignores it and takes a shower, pretending the multiple rings are coming from the television set that isn't even on.

She slips into bed and doesn't sleep, lying wide awake for five hours straight, thinking repetitively about only one thing – not one person; it's not Mathew, astonishingly.

It's her life.

/

When Violet was only 4, and Chris was 17, there was an accident. No one ever explained to her exactly what had caused it (she believed it was faulty wires rather than a candle or cigarette gone awry), but as she watched the fire encase her home on a late September night, it didn't really occur to her that she had lost not only her beloved household, but her parents as well.

It didn't take long for that to sink in, though.

All her life she had been regarded with carefulness and pity, something she hated. It wasn't that it bothered her, per say, but what did bother her was that she thought it was better than having people pretend that nothing _had_ happened. At least they were acknowledging it, she thought when her classmates and teachers looked at her in sympathy, but it still hurt sometimes.

People constantly had to watch what they said around her, not only for her sake, but for Chris's as well. In grade six, when one of her friends had mentioned a joke about an orphanage, Chris, who had been attending University at the time and afforded in a cheap one-bedroom apartment to live in with her, had given the girl a stern lecture that, if Violet wasn't mistaken, included a grumbled swear word or two.

That friend never visited her again for a while, and she didn't really blame her. Chris was terrifying when he was mad and their parents and references to them or the fire was always a very sensitive subject. Instead of anger, she dealt with the truth in tears, which, she admits shamefully, is why she prefers not to talk about it.

And while she could cry for hours, Chris could take it out on someone.

Throughout both high school and post-secondary, Chris had always had a problem for getting into fights. Whether it was because he was on the hockey team or because some guy looked at him funny, he was always looking for a reason to make his knuckles bleed. His temper had increased dramatically and little things no matter how insignificant they were, always found a way to piss him off.

It was during his junior year in University that he finally made fighting a hobby. The counsellor he had been seeing for the past two years (the school had recommended it and he had been considering a therapist for a while, too) suggested that he should channel his emotions in physical activity to prevent more violent outbreaks. And he, not being quite a fan of sports like basketball or volleyball, dove right into hockey and wrestling.

The latter almost immediately consumed him. He had always been a fan, watching the televised contests on TV every day they were on and attending the school's own competitions, but now that he himself was participating in the action, he grew to love it even more.

It was the restlessness, he once said, that drew him in, the consistency. How hardly anybody stopped moving for more than a minute. He enjoyed hockey, honestly he did, but he could hardly stand being benched for a period or taking the breaks between them. In wrestling you gave it your all for as long as you could, a battle between two constants, and in the end, the exhaustion always paid off.

He ended up placing high in a many provincial competitions and, hanging up his every medal, he always declared that he had finally found something he wanted to pursue for the rest of his life.

The travelling, which was only another source of the consistency he thrived on, had him chasing his dream. Quite literally.

And while Violet couldn't follow him, she did fine on her own as well for the time being. Unable to remain in Manitoba, she moved to Toronto with their aunt Susan. Someone Chris didn't necessarily get along with, purely because she treated him the way she had his father – with disdain. Never approving of her sister's husband, she only agreed to keep Violet because she, unlike Chris, resembled their mother, acted like her most often, too, and was too young to fend for herself.

So Chris left for tour with many minor league indie companies and Violet completed middle school and half of her high school grades in Toronto. After this long interval of time, Chris had returned with the news of higher prospects on the horizon, wanting to reunite with his sister and possibly take her with him when he explored these options.

But when he did arrive, he found out from his cousin – Susan's oldest daughter, Carolyn – that her mother had moved to New York and had taken Violet with her, with no intentions of ever telling him this.

When he finally located them in NYC, he was livid.

He asked if Violet wanted to come with him, which she did, and left with her to California, cutting ties with Susan completely.

Violet misses her often, but when she thinks about how she attempted to separate her and Chris for good, she thinks what he did was the right choice.

After this fiasco settled down, the two resided in Stanford. During their first year there, Chris made major appearances in higher-up wrestling companies and was eventually signed to the WWF – something that brought much-needed joy to their lives and gave them confidence that things were finally turning around. But with Violet turning eighteen and graduating high school while he was on the road, her consideration for post-secondary was growing.

It was a fast decision they made together. She was going back to Canada to attend the U of M in Winnipeg. It was also a hard one to make, but they affirmed that when she was done, she would rejoin him.

They went their separate ways for a second time, him visiting her when he could or when he was in Canada. But at the end of this time, more benefits were reaped. His career grew to fantastic levels and her education was furthered. They were finally able to reunite and that, above all, was what they had been waiting for most.

When she played it out in her head, it sounded almost like a fairytale. There were obstacles, clearly, and villains (evil aunts and jack-ass boyfriends, if you would), but there was also a happy ending. Well, as close to a happy ending you could get without the actual end. But, almost perversely, she wanted more. 'Is that selfish?' she asks herself, 'even if that "more" does more good for the people you love than you yourself, does it still make you selfish?'

Because sometimes she can't take that she adds more stress to Chris's life than he deserves. That she prevents Shawn from enjoying his career and spending time with his children. Hell, she _still_ feels guilty that she led Evan on for as long as she did, and kissed someone else while they were dating, no less. He says he forgives her, he says it all the time, but there has always been a niggling thought at the back of her conscious that has asked, time and time again, 'if you had left, just _left_ and not bothered as much lives as you do, where would those people be?'

More often than not, she answered with 'better off' because it was mostly true.

But if she left now, took off in the middle of the night back to Manitoba, how would that seem? Selfish is what she believes it would seem like. Because who is she to walk away from this life? She's blessed, extremely so, but what she wants everybody to understand is that by leaving, she'd have been doing something good for once in her life.

She's had many a conversation with Chris about this particular issue, but she still firmly thinks that she does more harm than good, while he argues that she doesn't, and she promised him she'd never leave.

And in the end, she doesn't want to disappoint anyone else – though it really seems like she is doing so even now, by not jumping a plane back to her home country. So, for Chris's sake, she stays.

For Shawn's, she texts him, knowing full well that he shuts off his phone during the night and feeling relieved that she probably won't be waking him from a good night's rest. She makes up a believable excuse as to why she never answered his call and sends it, adding an 'I love you' because unlike the previous message, this one isn't a lie.

She finally falls asleep with the thoughts of him in mind, thinking also of Canada, her aunt, and Mathew.

/

In the morning she goes through her normal routine – gets up, has a shower, gets dressed, and heads downstairs for breakfast. When she returns after consuming a simple bowl of Cheerios and orange juice, she turns on her cell phone to find that Shawn's texted back.

_It's okay, I understand. :-) Love you too xo_

It makes her smile, giddiness practically seeping out of her chest. Just then, a few more messages arrive; one from Chris, reading '_good morning lil sis!_' with several happy emoticons and another from Evan reading '_Thnx for last night! Ellie's amazing_!' followed by a parade of arrows and threes, which she takes to mean that they're now dating.

The sun pours in from the window and things are just as bright as the weather, as it happens.

The third is another from Shawn.

_I have great news. Call me when you've got the time :-)_

When she dials his number, she's so excited to hear from him again that she isn't aware that her heart's pounding until it echoes in the interludes of the ringing.

"Vi?" he sounds like he didn't expect her so soon, but delighted nonetheless. She presses a fist to her heart absently and grins like she's a lovesick teenager. "Shawn."

"I've got great news," he says, and he's most likely grinning, too. She can practically feel it; the happiness radiating from him.

"Yeah, I know, I got your text," she giggles. "What is this news?"

"Joint custody," he replies, suddenly breathless, like he's so happy he can't gasp in any air. But he takes a breath and continues. "For the most part, the kids are going to be living with their Mom. But, until I retire and can be with them full time, they get to visit during the weekends and holidays, including summer."

She knows this is a big deal for him, because he went to Atlanta with the worries that he wasn't going to lose custody of his children completely, due to the steady inconvenience of his profession. But it was better than he thought, because he still got to be with his son and daughter.

Honestly, the sheer joy in his voice was making her elated, too.

"The best part is that they're going to be living pretty close. Only a few hours' drive away from the house."

"That's amazing, Shawn," she says, regretting her thoughts last night. Because if hearing him this way makes her happy, seeing him this way would be too hard on her to leave in the first place. "I'm so glad."

"Me too," he says. Then adds: "I miss you a lot."

"I miss you too," Violet returns, "can't wait to see you again."

He makes a noise of assent and laughs. "I can't wait either. Do you know how it feels to sleep at night and not be cuddled to the point of near-strangulation?"

Violet giggles again, shaking her head in amusement. "I bet it feels horrible," she jokes, "waking up and your circulation is still flowing."

"Yes," he says, chuckling, "worst feeling in the world."

The couple laughs a little more before he asks her about the gala. She kind of verbally shrugs it off. "It was okay. I enjoyed myself, had fun, drunk a little champagne, did nothing too rowdy or mentionable."

"Did you dance?"

"Yes, I did," she smiles. "With Chris, Evan, Jay, and Ellie."

Instead of teasing jealous remarks, he questions "Ellie?"

"Long story short: she's the WWE make-up artist Chris sent to my door that I set Evan up with," she explains.

Shawn 'ooh's in interest. "And?" with a knowing voice she, a long time ago, used to confuse with superiority.

"They're dating, I'd say," she laughs, "he sent me a text that had so many hearts I thought I was talking to Chris about Iron Maiden."

Shawn bursts out laughing at that and right then it's decided – she's not going anywhere. Just because she ran into Mathew doesn't mean he has to mess up her life anymore by making her doubt it. She was just being dramatic, she concludes. So she doesn't tell Shawn about last night.

It's not important anyway.

/

Shawn's due to be back by tomorrow, and with them scheduled one more night in San Antonio, she decides to go out into the city on her own.

She borrows Chris's rental and just drives, undecided on where to go first. After a while of this aimless wandering, she ends up in a neat little ice cream shop downtown.

It's not really busy, there are only a few people occupying the booths and standing in line, but clearly is a favourite stop for people living around the area. She hears the servers call the customers by name, like they're close friends, and maybe they are – the atmosphere is friendly enough that when she orders her Cookies 'n Cream ice cream, she has a nice chat with one of the girls, a young, curly-haired grad school student named Marley, about Texas.

Her southern twinge is prominent and kind of adorable when she speaks about the state and whens he hands her the cone she asks her where she's from.

"Canada," she says, proud, handing over a dollar and fifty cents and delighting in the first taste of her ice-cream.

She opens the register and then straightens up with a wide grin. "Have a good day, eh?"

Putting on her best Texas drawl with a not-so straight face she replies coolly "You too, partner."


End file.
